This morning on CBS' Sunday Morning With Charles Osgood program there was a segment about charities that kind of upset me.
As you know charities are not my favorite industries. Yes, they are industries because they are being run as such. They are industries where the executives are getting high salaries and the larger portions of honest people's donations remain with them to cover their cushy lifestyles.
Anyway, this story was about some wide eyed Atlanta teenage girl who one day saw some homeless people by the road while she also saw some expensive Mercedes drive by.
As it happened she started to wander about life's inequalities.
She is from an upscale family where both the mother and father had good jobs and they lived in a very expensive home, practically a mansion.
At her insistence the family agreed that their lifestyle was not appropriate and they should do something about it. They sold their home and moved to a smaller house.
The story did not end here. On the sale they made about $600,000 profit which was donated to some hunger fighting charity.
The next film clip showed them in Ghana opening some cornmeal plant that would feed the local people. This girl is standing with the microphone in her hand and is making all kind of speeches and I am sure is very full of herself.
I think what they did is commendable. To sell one's home and turn the profit over to help the poor is a beautiful act, but I have reservations about the whole thing.
First of all, the house was not hers. Even though American kids always refer to their homes as 'my house' they are not. These are their parents' homes.
Kids do absolutely nothing toward the improvement of their parents' houses. They just happen to live there because the stork dropped them at that address.
This girl's parents were not Wall Street people nor were they gangsters. They made their money by work and they decided to buy into the American Dream. Here comes this naive, bleeding heart and convinces them that their lifestyle is the wrong one.
This might still be acceptable but why in the world they had to go to Ghana? Isn't there enough misery in this country?
Then the show interviewed the head of United Way. All throughout the interview I was wondering how much salary he was getting from the donations. He certainly didn't look undernourished.
He was asked how much people should donate. His answer was until it feels good. I accept that answer.
But then a college professor was asked and his answer was 'until it hurts'. I was just thinking how much of his income he was donating.
I hate college professor experts. They are so much removed from life it is not even funny. They become professors because they can not hack it in the outside world. They live in a world of theories without possessing any practical experience.
And as a good old Hungarian saying goes: nothing is too costly for the kibitz!
They always come forward with data about how much of $1 donated really get to the help it was intended for. The results are very disturbing.
Most of the major charities take a very large chunk of the $1 out for administrative expenses. This is unfair and disgusting. This equals to reaching into the donation box and take a handful of cash out every Sunday so the priest can have lunch in a nice expensive restaurant.
These are the major charities. The small ones are more "honest". They steal the entire amount.
Look at Haiti. It is like the dog chasing its own tail. Help is not reaching the intended because they either steal it or gets caught up in red tape. In the meantime people are suffering there. But that's not important. Nobody really cares about the people there anyway. Its all for a show!
The important thing is that Bill Clinton goes there for a six hour trip, shakes some hands, holds some babies and talks to some clown who claims to be the president and also have a lots of photo ops.
Going back to the Atlanta teenager's story. I am very glad that they adopted this village in Ghana and I am also sure our President is also very happy about it.
But driving home in Atlanta she will still see the homeless because in her little mind Ghana was more important than her own country.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
February 6, 2010
When I was a little boy my parents and I used to go on summer vacations down to the countryside. My Mother and I stayed for several weeks while my Father came down on weekends.
I know we did this before and also after the war. The usual thing was to rent a room in some farmer's house and that was always a lot of fun for me. There were farm animals, I was allowed to play around them and the fresh air was good.
There was a particular village at Lake Balaton that had absolutely no glamour at all but was a popular vacation spot with middle class Jewish families.
Aside from my family, my Father's two brothers with their families went there all the time. As it happened my Mother and Father met there because their families used to vacation at this place.
I have a friend here in New York who's family also used to vacation there. So, as it turned out this was a hugely popular place.
Early spring on a particular Sunday, every year the train from Budapest - nobody had cars back then - brought an influx of prospective vacationers. The ones in the know headed to their usual places while the new comers wandered around the village looking for the right house to rent.
I loved this place. When I got older, like four - five years old I was allowed to go out to the fields with the farmer and "help" him with his chores. The house we stayed a lot had cows, chickens and pigs.
The farmer used to go out with his cart pulled by his two cows. This was not unusual in those days. I loved to sit up front with him and shoot the breeze while the cows slowly plodded their way through the roads. I was never afraid of any animal so being near and handling these was not a problem.
The odor was not always the most pleasant on these journeys, since I was not the lead dog, but I got used to it.
Other times my Mother and I went down to the lake to the public beach where we met up with my cousins and other people and had a great time. I was five or six years old, what did I know of what was waiting for us in the future.
I have to mention that our place did not have indoor plumbing. We had to use the outhouse, which aside from the flies was fun and we brought our water in from the well they had in the garden. But they did have electricity.
A note: the outhouse and the well were sufficiently away from each other.
As is the accepted practice in this country too, certain occupations or trades are the domains of certain nationalities.
In Hungary back then outhouse cleaning was the domain of the gypsies. They came to the house, climbed down into the cesspool that was a lot less civilized than today's treated stuff and cleaned it out. I always liked to watch that procedure. Actually everything done on a farm used to interest my five year old mind.
My Father was a very good soccer player in his young days. His family used to vacation in this village for many years. He got to know the local boys of his age and was accepted by them very quickly because of his soccer know how.
He was telling me that most of these boys played barefoot since shoes were kind of luxury for them. Coming from the big city he played with shoes on but these boys had such tough feet that their kicks were good and strong.
When we went back for our summers he knew a lot of the men from their younger days and he was treated with respect and love. I was very proud of him.
On Saturdays we all went to the train station because around noon the Budapest train arrived and all the fathers were there. That was one of the few days of the week when the train station was crowded.
All the mothers with their kids waiting for their husbands. Then Sunday afternoon the entire process in reverse. They were leaving.
Back then a trip to the lake by train took about four hours even though it was only a hundred miles.
I always loved the train ride down there. Back then we had steam engines on most of the train lines. The cars were warm so all the windows were open. I loved to hang out the windows like dog from the car except my tongue was not flapping in the wind.
Steam engines spew soot from their chimneys and all the soot always found its way into my hair. By the time we got home my hair was so thick with soot that it was impossible to comb it, it had to be washed out. And any soot that didn't land in my hair got into my eyes. Boy, was I stupid kid or what?
Two years ago we were visiting Hungary and drove down there (I drove) in less then two hours. Clean driving, no soot at all.
The world is becoming smaller and smaller.
I know we did this before and also after the war. The usual thing was to rent a room in some farmer's house and that was always a lot of fun for me. There were farm animals, I was allowed to play around them and the fresh air was good.
There was a particular village at Lake Balaton that had absolutely no glamour at all but was a popular vacation spot with middle class Jewish families.
Aside from my family, my Father's two brothers with their families went there all the time. As it happened my Mother and Father met there because their families used to vacation at this place.
I have a friend here in New York who's family also used to vacation there. So, as it turned out this was a hugely popular place.
Early spring on a particular Sunday, every year the train from Budapest - nobody had cars back then - brought an influx of prospective vacationers. The ones in the know headed to their usual places while the new comers wandered around the village looking for the right house to rent.
I loved this place. When I got older, like four - five years old I was allowed to go out to the fields with the farmer and "help" him with his chores. The house we stayed a lot had cows, chickens and pigs.
The farmer used to go out with his cart pulled by his two cows. This was not unusual in those days. I loved to sit up front with him and shoot the breeze while the cows slowly plodded their way through the roads. I was never afraid of any animal so being near and handling these was not a problem.
The odor was not always the most pleasant on these journeys, since I was not the lead dog, but I got used to it.
Other times my Mother and I went down to the lake to the public beach where we met up with my cousins and other people and had a great time. I was five or six years old, what did I know of what was waiting for us in the future.
I have to mention that our place did not have indoor plumbing. We had to use the outhouse, which aside from the flies was fun and we brought our water in from the well they had in the garden. But they did have electricity.
A note: the outhouse and the well were sufficiently away from each other.
As is the accepted practice in this country too, certain occupations or trades are the domains of certain nationalities.
In Hungary back then outhouse cleaning was the domain of the gypsies. They came to the house, climbed down into the cesspool that was a lot less civilized than today's treated stuff and cleaned it out. I always liked to watch that procedure. Actually everything done on a farm used to interest my five year old mind.
My Father was a very good soccer player in his young days. His family used to vacation in this village for many years. He got to know the local boys of his age and was accepted by them very quickly because of his soccer know how.
He was telling me that most of these boys played barefoot since shoes were kind of luxury for them. Coming from the big city he played with shoes on but these boys had such tough feet that their kicks were good and strong.
When we went back for our summers he knew a lot of the men from their younger days and he was treated with respect and love. I was very proud of him.
On Saturdays we all went to the train station because around noon the Budapest train arrived and all the fathers were there. That was one of the few days of the week when the train station was crowded.
All the mothers with their kids waiting for their husbands. Then Sunday afternoon the entire process in reverse. They were leaving.
Back then a trip to the lake by train took about four hours even though it was only a hundred miles.
I always loved the train ride down there. Back then we had steam engines on most of the train lines. The cars were warm so all the windows were open. I loved to hang out the windows like dog from the car except my tongue was not flapping in the wind.
Steam engines spew soot from their chimneys and all the soot always found its way into my hair. By the time we got home my hair was so thick with soot that it was impossible to comb it, it had to be washed out. And any soot that didn't land in my hair got into my eyes. Boy, was I stupid kid or what?
Two years ago we were visiting Hungary and drove down there (I drove) in less then two hours. Clean driving, no soot at all.
The world is becoming smaller and smaller.
Friday, February 5, 2010
February 5, 2010
There are a few things occupying the news today.
One, there is a whopper of a snow storm coming our way.
Two, the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Three, the Market took a dive yesterday.
Well, let's look at these one by one.
As time approached it was downgraded to "maybe" a couple inches. But to save their reputation they are promising two feet or more to Southern New Jersey.
First of all who cares about Southern New Jersey? Why those people don't live in New York City? They would then only get two inches of snow.
Should I care about them? Do they care about us when we get two inches of snow and New York City is totally paralyzed? No, they don't care. So, it is mutual.
It is midday Friday and the weather smarts still can not determine what's going to happen. But the supermarkets are emptying out because nobody wants to venture out in two inches of snow to go to the stores. One might not find his way home in that terrible weather!
I tell you, we are living in a country of sissies.
So, they are creating this artificial panic which leads to all kinds of inconveniences.
They announced it that it was already snowing in Washington and there it could be expected to be as much as three feet.
Do I feel sorry for those poor politicians? Absolutely not!
If they get buried in snow, good riddance! They were giving us a snow job all their careers, now the shovel is in the other hand.
One, there is a whopper of a snow storm coming our way.
Two, the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Three, the Market took a dive yesterday.
Well, let's look at these one by one.
++++++++++
They started by saying that we might be looking at a minimum of one foot of snow in the New York City area. This was said early in the week when they had no clue what they were looking at.
As time approached it was downgraded to "maybe" a couple inches. But to save their reputation they are promising two feet or more to Southern New Jersey.
First of all who cares about Southern New Jersey? Why those people don't live in New York City? They would then only get two inches of snow.
Should I care about them? Do they care about us when we get two inches of snow and New York City is totally paralyzed? No, they don't care. So, it is mutual.
It is midday Friday and the weather smarts still can not determine what's going to happen. But the supermarkets are emptying out because nobody wants to venture out in two inches of snow to go to the stores. One might not find his way home in that terrible weather!
I tell you, we are living in a country of sissies.
So, they are creating this artificial panic which leads to all kinds of inconveniences.
They announced it that it was already snowing in Washington and there it could be expected to be as much as three feet.
Do I feel sorry for those poor politicians? Absolutely not!
If they get buried in snow, good riddance! They were giving us a snow job all their careers, now the shovel is in the other hand.
===========================
The Big Event of the season is upon us. This Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday. The world will stop and everybody will watch football. There is nothing on TV but football.
The supermarkets empty out not just because of the coming snow but because one can not watch The Game unless one munches on snacks and drinks beer all throughout.
As I said earlier I am not a fan and I really don't care who wins.
What I find interesting is that I heard on the radio today that this might be the last Super Bowl for a while because the players are threatening some kind of a player strike for next year since their collective bargaining agreement expires in March.
These guys are getting more money than they could ever make with honest work, so what more they want?
Since football supposed to be a college sport I assume that most of these players graduated with some kind of a degree. Nobody held a gun to their heads saying you can not be a brain surgeon, you must be a football player. This was their choice.
If any one of them ever tried to make a living based on their education they would find that life is not a bowl of cherries in the outside world.
They would find that life is full of tumbles and fumbles and no cheers and very little glory.
The supermarkets empty out not just because of the coming snow but because one can not watch The Game unless one munches on snacks and drinks beer all throughout.
As I said earlier I am not a fan and I really don't care who wins.
What I find interesting is that I heard on the radio today that this might be the last Super Bowl for a while because the players are threatening some kind of a player strike for next year since their collective bargaining agreement expires in March.
These guys are getting more money than they could ever make with honest work, so what more they want?
Since football supposed to be a college sport I assume that most of these players graduated with some kind of a degree. Nobody held a gun to their heads saying you can not be a brain surgeon, you must be a football player. This was their choice.
If any one of them ever tried to make a living based on their education they would find that life is not a bowl of cherries in the outside world.
They would find that life is full of tumbles and fumbles and no cheers and very little glory.
===========================
Yesterday the Market took a dive to the amount of 268 points. All because Greece and Portugal and God knows what other countries are in bad shape. Why should that bother us?
Why my investments have to suffer because Greece and Portugal and others can not keep their financial affairs straight?
The more these problems arise more I believe in isolationism. We should mind our own business first and let the rest of the world take care of its own.
Humanitarian help is one thing but why do we have to be entangled in other countries' financial affairs. All these involvements hurt us badly but nobody seem to care about us here.
We are back to our yo-yo economy. Yesterday the economy and the future looked gloomy. So gloomy that the Market dove 260 points. Today after an entire day in negative territory the Market miraculously came out of is coma and closed ten points up.
I wonder if there is yak shortage in Tibet how much would that effect Wall Street.
Why my investments have to suffer because Greece and Portugal and others can not keep their financial affairs straight?
The more these problems arise more I believe in isolationism. We should mind our own business first and let the rest of the world take care of its own.
Humanitarian help is one thing but why do we have to be entangled in other countries' financial affairs. All these involvements hurt us badly but nobody seem to care about us here.
We are back to our yo-yo economy. Yesterday the economy and the future looked gloomy. So gloomy that the Market dove 260 points. Today after an entire day in negative territory the Market miraculously came out of is coma and closed ten points up.
I wonder if there is yak shortage in Tibet how much would that effect Wall Street.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
February 4, 2010
The government says the economy is improving. We are out of our financial quagmire, things are improving, businesses are getting back to close to normal and we are getting closer and closer to where we were before.
I don't know what country's data this government is looking at.
The problem as I see it is that everybody deals with percentages only. That applies to the Federal government down to the local governments, financial people, and all the financial publications.
Nobody gives a damn about the individual. The idiotic radio blares about all the opportunities that are out there. The only thing is that one has to be a health care worker or a brain surgeon or something similar.
That doesn't help the poor schlub who lost his accountant job a year ago and can not find any work. Tell it to this guy that the economy is looking good, things are returning to normal.
This guy is collecting $405 a week unemployment benefit and has to support his family. Sends out his resume and gets nothing but rejections if he is lucky because most of the time there is no response at all.
The View from the Bottom is that I know this accountant and if his wife wouldn't work he would be in real trouble. And what about the middle aged woman who was an office assistant for several years but lost her job a few months ago. If the husband wouldn't have a job they would be out on the street.
She is over middle age, wants to work but very likely nobody will hire her.
They tell you in the media that middle aged workers are the best. They are reliable, they want to work, won't get pregnant. Too bad that this is only a theory. In practice it doesn't work. Nobody will hire a middle aged or over middle age worker. Age discrimination is rampant even if they deny it.
This government is living in the twilight zone. They refuse to acknowledge the actual situation. And the actual situation is bad.
Everywhere we go, in the city or in the suburbs we see empty storefronts. Closed businesses mean people unemployed. We have acquaintances who lost their jobs and can not find work at all.
Want ads are phony. Most of the ads are by agencies who do nothing just collect names for future use. The few companies that advertise are very secretive about their information. Understandably they don't want to be overran by prospective applicants.
The stimulus money that was supposed to create jobs did nothing but lined the pockets of the politicians and banks.
Where are all the new opportunities the glorious leadership was talking about?
The democrats got into power because the public thought they would do better than the republicans who supposedly got us into this mess.
Well, the democrats are not doing any better either. As a matter of fact they are doing so bad that I am sure they can kiss their current position goodbye. At the next elections they will be history. And that includes the Administration, too.
I am neither a democrat nor a republican. I vote for the right people. But it is becoming obvious that the the democrats I recently voted for are not the right people.
I don't know what country's data this government is looking at.
The problem as I see it is that everybody deals with percentages only. That applies to the Federal government down to the local governments, financial people, and all the financial publications.
Nobody gives a damn about the individual. The idiotic radio blares about all the opportunities that are out there. The only thing is that one has to be a health care worker or a brain surgeon or something similar.
That doesn't help the poor schlub who lost his accountant job a year ago and can not find any work. Tell it to this guy that the economy is looking good, things are returning to normal.
This guy is collecting $405 a week unemployment benefit and has to support his family. Sends out his resume and gets nothing but rejections if he is lucky because most of the time there is no response at all.
The View from the Bottom is that I know this accountant and if his wife wouldn't work he would be in real trouble. And what about the middle aged woman who was an office assistant for several years but lost her job a few months ago. If the husband wouldn't have a job they would be out on the street.
She is over middle age, wants to work but very likely nobody will hire her.
They tell you in the media that middle aged workers are the best. They are reliable, they want to work, won't get pregnant. Too bad that this is only a theory. In practice it doesn't work. Nobody will hire a middle aged or over middle age worker. Age discrimination is rampant even if they deny it.
This government is living in the twilight zone. They refuse to acknowledge the actual situation. And the actual situation is bad.
Everywhere we go, in the city or in the suburbs we see empty storefronts. Closed businesses mean people unemployed. We have acquaintances who lost their jobs and can not find work at all.
Want ads are phony. Most of the ads are by agencies who do nothing just collect names for future use. The few companies that advertise are very secretive about their information. Understandably they don't want to be overran by prospective applicants.
The stimulus money that was supposed to create jobs did nothing but lined the pockets of the politicians and banks.
Where are all the new opportunities the glorious leadership was talking about?
The democrats got into power because the public thought they would do better than the republicans who supposedly got us into this mess.
Well, the democrats are not doing any better either. As a matter of fact they are doing so bad that I am sure they can kiss their current position goodbye. At the next elections they will be history. And that includes the Administration, too.
I am neither a democrat nor a republican. I vote for the right people. But it is becoming obvious that the the democrats I recently voted for are not the right people.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
February 3, 2010
It is amazing that some people don't know how to applaud. It is not something one learns in school but seeing enough people do it should give an idea of how to do it the right way.
When I see a show, let's say a game show and the contestants applaud on stage as many as they are that many different ways they applaud.
Some do it like a trained seal, downward vertical just clapping their hands together. Some people do it with bent palm thereby without realizing creating a booming sound. Some do it the cutesy way with their fingertips.
Nobody really knows the correct way to applaud and it is a shame. If these people would see themselves they would be ashamed of how silly they look.
When I see a show, let's say a game show and the contestants applaud on stage as many as they are that many different ways they applaud.
Some do it like a trained seal, downward vertical just clapping their hands together. Some people do it with bent palm thereby without realizing creating a booming sound. Some do it the cutesy way with their fingertips.
Nobody really knows the correct way to applaud and it is a shame. If these people would see themselves they would be ashamed of how silly they look.
===========================
Holding eating utensils in one's hands the correct way is actually in the eyes of the beholder.
When I was little my Mother took the time to show me how to hold the spoon, fork and knife correctly. Spending time with me doing this didn't upset her social schedule and I was glad she did it. Even years later she had the tendency to correct me if I did it the wrong way.
I do realize that there is a difference between the American and European ways of holding these utensils.
The way I learned it and that is the European way is that one holds the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right hand. The knife is not only for cutting but to help pushing the food onto the fork. That is how I still do it.
The American way is holding the fork in the left hand, hold the knife in the right hand cut the meat, most of the meat than switch the fork into the right hand and eat. There is nothing wrong with this system, but...
I have been watching people eat in restaurants and what I see sometimes curls the hair in the back of my neck.
They hold the fork in their left hand like a bayonet, practically nailing the meat to the table then proceeding with the cutting that is almost like killing that poor animal over again. And this is done by kids and grownups alike.
Don't American parents believe in teaching their kids the proper table etiquette?
I saw an American war movie that happened during World War II. The Americans dropped people behind German lines and they were to pass themselves off as German soldiers. Obviously these people spoke perfect German and had some German background.
The story followed two particular Americans. Also, there was a Gestapo guy who thought something was not right, he had his doubts and was watching these people.
It happened in a restaurant. The two Americans, in German officer uniforms were having dinner and the Gestapo guy was watching them. One of the Americans forgot himself and held his knife and fork the American way. Well, that was the end of him all right.
When I was little my Mother took the time to show me how to hold the spoon, fork and knife correctly. Spending time with me doing this didn't upset her social schedule and I was glad she did it. Even years later she had the tendency to correct me if I did it the wrong way.
I do realize that there is a difference between the American and European ways of holding these utensils.
The way I learned it and that is the European way is that one holds the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right hand. The knife is not only for cutting but to help pushing the food onto the fork. That is how I still do it.
The American way is holding the fork in the left hand, hold the knife in the right hand cut the meat, most of the meat than switch the fork into the right hand and eat. There is nothing wrong with this system, but...
I have been watching people eat in restaurants and what I see sometimes curls the hair in the back of my neck.
They hold the fork in their left hand like a bayonet, practically nailing the meat to the table then proceeding with the cutting that is almost like killing that poor animal over again. And this is done by kids and grownups alike.
Don't American parents believe in teaching their kids the proper table etiquette?
I saw an American war movie that happened during World War II. The Americans dropped people behind German lines and they were to pass themselves off as German soldiers. Obviously these people spoke perfect German and had some German background.
The story followed two particular Americans. Also, there was a Gestapo guy who thought something was not right, he had his doubts and was watching these people.
It happened in a restaurant. The two Americans, in German officer uniforms were having dinner and the Gestapo guy was watching them. One of the Americans forgot himself and held his knife and fork the American way. Well, that was the end of him all right.
February 2, 2010
Today I went to the gym again to work out. There is an older gentleman I know with whom I always have a nice chat. He seem to be knowledgeable about a lots of things. In plain English he is an old Jewish guy.
Like any other times we tried to solve the problems of the world while we sweated during exercise. He doesn't have a computer but reads the New York Times (NYT) daily. I don't read the New York Times (NYT) but have a computer therefore, I am also pretty well informed.
The problem with this man is that while I was trying to describe a local interest story to him he was looking at it through the eyes of the NYT. His response to my story was that he perfectly understood whatever happened because the NYT described such events also in the Bronx and Brooklyn.
I told him I didn't give a flying hoot about what the NYT said, this thing happened in our corner and that's all I care about.
Now, this was tho prologue. The main body of this literary piece is coming.
The New York Times is a great newspaper. Its sources are reliable, its stories are credible and its language is impeccable.
In the 1960s when I was taking English in college we were told by our instructor that the New York Times' use of the English (American) is the correct way and we could learn from it.
New York had several now it has a few daily newspapers but their use of the English language is far from correct. The use of slang is commonplace since their readership understand that more.
The problem I have with the NYT is that it is too big. The daily edition during the week has several sections and reading through the entire paper is not an easy task. This is not a paper that can easily be read on the train on the way to work. Maybe if the trip takes six hours then yes.
Aside from its size, every article they write continues several pages later which makes it necessary to massage the paper back and forth all the time.
There are papers that limit their articles to that same page and those are a lot easier to read.
Their articles report the news but then they also go back to the basics and describe the total background of the event in question. This gets tedious and boring at times.
Now back to the people who read this publication. This is an intelligent newspaper that is not aimed at the general public but only at the ones who think that they are smarter than the rest of us, or "smarter than a fifth grader".
These people think the New York Times is the gospel. Whatever they write it must be so. Having a discussion with anyone is a futile exercise because they are convinced that everybody else who don't read the NYT is stupid and is not worth talking to.
You try to talk about some local interest story and their response is solving the world's problems.
I also find their travel articles far removed from reality. I traveled to a few countries and reading the NYT's descriptions of those places I realize that what they write is absolutely not for the everyday traveler/vacationer.
The prices they quote, the restaurants they suggest, the places they advise to visit are not best information available for that particular country.
Their trip suggestions are not priced to the average American family. It seems that this paper does not realize that we are living through some terrible times and families are trying to save a buck whenever they can.
The New York Times would do better to come up with discount travel tips that are within reach for the average family, to permit a family even in financial trouble to have some, even if limited enjoyment out of life.
Like any other times we tried to solve the problems of the world while we sweated during exercise. He doesn't have a computer but reads the New York Times (NYT) daily. I don't read the New York Times (NYT) but have a computer therefore, I am also pretty well informed.
The problem with this man is that while I was trying to describe a local interest story to him he was looking at it through the eyes of the NYT. His response to my story was that he perfectly understood whatever happened because the NYT described such events also in the Bronx and Brooklyn.
I told him I didn't give a flying hoot about what the NYT said, this thing happened in our corner and that's all I care about.
Now, this was tho prologue. The main body of this literary piece is coming.
The New York Times is a great newspaper. Its sources are reliable, its stories are credible and its language is impeccable.
In the 1960s when I was taking English in college we were told by our instructor that the New York Times' use of the English (American) is the correct way and we could learn from it.
New York had several now it has a few daily newspapers but their use of the English language is far from correct. The use of slang is commonplace since their readership understand that more.
The problem I have with the NYT is that it is too big. The daily edition during the week has several sections and reading through the entire paper is not an easy task. This is not a paper that can easily be read on the train on the way to work. Maybe if the trip takes six hours then yes.
Aside from its size, every article they write continues several pages later which makes it necessary to massage the paper back and forth all the time.
There are papers that limit their articles to that same page and those are a lot easier to read.
Their articles report the news but then they also go back to the basics and describe the total background of the event in question. This gets tedious and boring at times.
Now back to the people who read this publication. This is an intelligent newspaper that is not aimed at the general public but only at the ones who think that they are smarter than the rest of us, or "smarter than a fifth grader".
These people think the New York Times is the gospel. Whatever they write it must be so. Having a discussion with anyone is a futile exercise because they are convinced that everybody else who don't read the NYT is stupid and is not worth talking to.
You try to talk about some local interest story and their response is solving the world's problems.
I also find their travel articles far removed from reality. I traveled to a few countries and reading the NYT's descriptions of those places I realize that what they write is absolutely not for the everyday traveler/vacationer.
The prices they quote, the restaurants they suggest, the places they advise to visit are not best information available for that particular country.
Their trip suggestions are not priced to the average American family. It seems that this paper does not realize that we are living through some terrible times and families are trying to save a buck whenever they can.
The New York Times would do better to come up with discount travel tips that are within reach for the average family, to permit a family even in financial trouble to have some, even if limited enjoyment out of life.
Monday, February 1, 2010
February 1, 2010
Today we had a very lovely day. It was clear, not a cloud in the sky and wintry cold. Even though it was pleasant the weather people make such a big thing about a little cold that it is unbelievable.
If it is cold in the winter they complain, if it is warm in the summer they complain. What the hell they want?
Years ago we vacationed in Aruba where almost every day of the year it is sunny and warm. We heard that they don't have any weather forecasting because there is nothing to forecast. Things never change there.
I'll bet if they would send some of the New York forecasters there they would be able to mess up even there.
I still say, this is the best job in the world. If they are wrong they just say oops! No consequences.
My wife and I went to the gym today. We try to go a couple of times a week just to stay in shape. So we went today and it was a good workout. She did her exercises and did mine. We do it for about an hour and a half and we feel good afterward.
The advantages of being retired is that we can enjoy the lack of crowds at places like the gym. We used to go after work when it was always crowded and it was like zoo. Now, during the day it is bordering on the pleasant since there are no crowds.
People like us come during the day and they behave a little more civilized than the night people.
I love to work out on machines and also to lift weights. We know enough people there and occasionally somebody will show a good exercise which I try to follow.
If it is cold in the winter they complain, if it is warm in the summer they complain. What the hell they want?
Years ago we vacationed in Aruba where almost every day of the year it is sunny and warm. We heard that they don't have any weather forecasting because there is nothing to forecast. Things never change there.
I'll bet if they would send some of the New York forecasters there they would be able to mess up even there.
I still say, this is the best job in the world. If they are wrong they just say oops! No consequences.
My wife and I went to the gym today. We try to go a couple of times a week just to stay in shape. So we went today and it was a good workout. She did her exercises and did mine. We do it for about an hour and a half and we feel good afterward.
The advantages of being retired is that we can enjoy the lack of crowds at places like the gym. We used to go after work when it was always crowded and it was like zoo. Now, during the day it is bordering on the pleasant since there are no crowds.
People like us come during the day and they behave a little more civilized than the night people.
I love to work out on machines and also to lift weights. We know enough people there and occasionally somebody will show a good exercise which I try to follow.
===========================
Last night we watched for about an hour the Grammy presentation. That show is the perfect example of beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
The way some or most of these people were dressed was ridiculous, tasteless and just plain ugly. Even if these women get their dresses for free from the designers they should have enough self criticism to realize what they looked like.
Just because it is free it doesn't mean they must wear it. They looked dowdy, stupid colors and showed anatomy where it should have stayed hidden. It shows that these people have absolutely no self respect.
Their self adulation is getting boring. Publicly they all love one and other while privately they wish the competition to hell.
I know I am an old fogy with old ideas, but this is not music to my ears. Screaming and rapping is no art in my books. The only real artist yesterday was Andrea Bocelli. I was surprised to see that he lowered himself to appear there.
And these people make 20-30-40-50 million dollars a year. Something is wrong with this equation.
Last night we watched for about an hour the Grammy presentation. That show is the perfect example of beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
The way some or most of these people were dressed was ridiculous, tasteless and just plain ugly. Even if these women get their dresses for free from the designers they should have enough self criticism to realize what they looked like.
Just because it is free it doesn't mean they must wear it. They looked dowdy, stupid colors and showed anatomy where it should have stayed hidden. It shows that these people have absolutely no self respect.
Their self adulation is getting boring. Publicly they all love one and other while privately they wish the competition to hell.
I know I am an old fogy with old ideas, but this is not music to my ears. Screaming and rapping is no art in my books. The only real artist yesterday was Andrea Bocelli. I was surprised to see that he lowered himself to appear there.
And these people make 20-30-40-50 million dollars a year. Something is wrong with this equation.
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