November 7, 2009

This is just an afterthought after yesterday's little thing about diets.

As I said I am Hungarian. I left Hungary in early 1957 just after the 1956 Revolution. Most of the Hungarians who left the country escaped towards Austria. Being a Western country they all felt safer there, away from grasps of the Soviets.

I agonized too long about leaving and by the time I decided, at my cousin's prodding, Austria was out of the question. The border was heavily guarded by the Russians.

The authorities thought nobody in his right mind would go towards Yugoslavia. That was a communist country so why would people who are running away from communism would go that way.

Well, I went toward the south and that happened to be Yugoslavia. Even though good old Josip Broz Tito was a communist he wasn't in love with the Soviets and we were kind of grudgingly accepted. They weren't too thrilled with us but never turned us back to Hungarians.

There were a several hundred thousand refugees there and I for one stayed for nine months before was allowed to enter the US. Nine months! I could have been reborn and now I would be 20 years younger.

Since we were not very acceptable politically we were kept in refugee camps with very limited free movement.

We were fed, clothed by the Red Cross, helped by religious organizations and by far removed relatives who were searched out at this time.

The food was camp food. Very limited menu. One day beans the other day cabbage. And bread with everything.

I have to tell you, I love beans in every shape and form. At the same time I hate cabbage with a vengeance.

So, every other day, on bean day, I was in seventh heaven. While everybody was complaining about the food I was at the opinion that being a countryless refugee with an uncertain future isn't so bad at all.

For nine months I ate this heavenly (crappy) food and nothing ever happened. Was not undernourished, my cholesterol didn't go up, my sugar was normal. I got chickenpox but that was for a different reason.

Today's dietary authorities would have had a conniption if they were there reviewing what we ate.

But lo and behold, we all survived, none of us got fat and we all grew up to be fairly good people.

And I still love beans!

November 6, 2009

Today I want to say something about the dirtiest word in the dictionary.

And, it happens to be DIET!

This word has two meanings.

One is, a formal deliberative assembly called Diet in Japan and Germany and some other European countries.

The other is more serious meaning: not eating the food you really like is called Torture or in other word Diet.

Everybody diets in this world. You turn on the TV or radio and all you hear is what not to eat and how everything we really like will eventually will kill us.

I grew up in Europe. I loved my Mother's cooking. I thought it was the best there was in this world. Well, I still think that way.

I had breakfast at home, something about mid-morning in school, a hot lunch around 2 o'clock, something lite around 5 o'clock then dinner when my Father got home from work.

Never lacked for food. And, I was never fat or even slightly overweight. Nobody ever talked about giving up your favorite foods because they may cause, diabetes, obesity, heart problems, liver problems, skin problems, dandruff or anything else.

O.k. I came from Hungary where pastry rules, besides good wine. The per-capita pastry consumption there probably exceeds the rest of the world combined. But no one ever said to eat lo-fat, sugar-free cakes or any other kind of pastry. That would probably be sacrilegious.

I grew up, my parents and grandparents grew up, my friends grew up and everybody was happy. Well, as far as our stomachs were concerned.

There were days when my Mother made something that I loathed to eat but had no choice. Thinking back it was only because I was a spoiled brat.

Until today I still love good Hungarian food even though I am totally used to the American kitchen.

In 2000 my cousin/best friend and I went to Budapest for two weeks sans wives. It was meant to be a nostalgic retracing of our youthful escapades. Well, besides that it turned out to be a two week eating orgy. We ate in the morning we ate at noon, we ate dinners. And in between if there was a pastry shop along our "retracing" we stopped there for a 'little pick me up'.

Curiously, neither of us gained a pound. It was because we walked hours on end throughout our old neighborhoods.

But man, it was fantastic!

That's all a fond memory now.

At this time I am on a strict diet. Not that I mind but it is necessary. I'm not working anymore, I'm at home a lot so it is inevitable that a person gains weight. That's what I want to prevent at any price.

My wife cooks very well. And very healthy, too. She's watching my diet like a hawk. I know that she knows more about these things than I do because I'm a weakling when it comes to food so I trust her implicitly.

My cousin loves to eat. Being the same age as I am he is in the same boat. Watching his weight. I remember that years ago in the pre-diet era he loved to stuff himself with stuffed cabbage. I mean good Hungarian stuffed cabbage. And, always got sick from it afterward. But when it was over he always said it was worth it.

Everyday they come out with something that will eventually kill us. I always thought diet soda was nothing but colored water. Now, the are saying the stuff in that is harmful also. This is in addition to everything else that is already harmful to us.

We should check out what goats live on because I have never ever saw a fat goat.

November 5, 2009

Just a little postscript to yesterday's political outburst of mine.

I saw on the news today that GOP leaders are trying to determine the trend of Tuesdays results. There is no trend!

People are sick and tired of being taken advantage of by corrupt and self serving politicians.

The short of it is: lower taxes, provide more work, provide healthcare, regulate the financial system and lower prices across the board.

Whoever can achieve this gets the job. It doesn't matter if he is a republican or a democrat or independent or anything else.

Stop looking at trends and start looking at how to help the situation. Because as it is, it ain't working!

Just remember: if you are not the lead dog the view never changes!

Now, one of my favorite subjects: unemployment.

Being an unemployed retiree I'm kind of familiar with the situation.

No matter what anybody says there is no work out there!

The media and the politicians are dealing with statistics. But we are not statistics, we are individuals with individual problems. If you are over qualified that is the problem, if you are under qualified that is the problem, if you are higher in age that is the problem. If you are white that's bad, if you are black that's bad, if you are in between that's not too good either.

Discrimination is rampant in today's job market. I don't care that it is against the law, everybody is doing it. There are a thousand and one ways an employer can refuse a prospective applicant without breaking any laws.

It is my opinion that if an employer reduced his workforce by whatever percentage and he continues to stay in business and function, the hopes are slim to none that he will ever rehire the people he terminated. It's just not good business to spend more on payroll than it is absolutely necessary. And life is being run by the profitability of businesses.

I remember that years ago the company I worked for was owned by a major American corporation. One time we had an employee meeting with the president of our division. They being the new owners, a lot of people were asking all kinds of questions primarily about the changes the company was implementing. Actually, the questions were aimed at the negative changes.

The president told us point blank that the company's first responsibility is to the stockholders. We, the employees come in second, or maybe third. That was a kind of kick below the belt. Totally unexpected, but the raw truth.

That is the sorry situation that governs our life today.

November 4, 2009

The opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. All previous blogs as well as the future ones represent my opinions and the way I see the world from the Bottom.

Today is the day after Election Day. Monday morning quarterbacking commenced in a national scale! All the professional political analysts came out and explained why happened whatever happened.

Why couldn't they tell us what's going to happen before the event. Explaining after the fact is easy. Forecasting takes knowledge and know-how.

Here are a few of my comments.

Two republican gubernatorial wins a new era it doesn't make!

All it indicates the voters thought they had two lousy governors and they wanted change. That's all, the voters spoke.

When Jesse Ventura won the Minnesota gubernatorial race in 1998 as an Independent it didn't mean an independent era was starting. All it meant that state had two lousy candidates and the voters spoke.

So, I think the republicans should stop salivating their time isn't here, yet.

When I came to this country I asked my uncle if he was a democrat or a republican. He said neither. He told me he always voted against the incumbent because change is good and that is how improvements can be made.

Mike Bloomberg won the New York City mayoral race. He is a republican. But if he were a gay, transvestite, communist he would have still won. He bought the election. He poured money in like it was going out of style. He proved the point that only the wealthy can ever succeed in the political arena.

The winner of the New Jersey governor's race is a republican. The way I see it he didn't win the race, the other guy lost it. Corizine was a lousy governor who was disliked by the voters. Oh yes, he is a democrat.

The way I see it the republicans don't care about the working people, the democrats say that they do, except once they are elected they all forget where they came from and who put them there. Politicians only interest is to put their names in the history books and to make as much money as possible from their positions in the afterlife.

The trouble is that a poor person is really exposed to financial temptation and looses his vision. A rich person is above all financial temptation but has the "let them eat cake" attitude.

So, the Bottom line is that we are screwed either way.

November 3, 2009

There was a news item on the 6 o'clock news tonight. The item dealt with overweight children. It featured some kid who works out with a personal trainer.

The family lived in Scarsdale, New York.

To put an item on the news at time like these indicates that the TV stations lack any feeling and sensitivity.

First, Scarsdale, New York is a very affluent community north of New York City. According to census figures the median income there is $89,907.

Second, in today's economy who but the upper crust can afford the kind of expense a personal trainer would cost.

People are fighting to stay afloat, to avoid layoffs, to avoid foreclosures and the television station airs an article about hiring personal trainers for overweight kids.

Actually this was on WCBS Channel 2 today.

I think their excuse is that in 10% unemployment there is 90% employment. So, people work, spend money and some, would you believe, even make money from other people's miseries.

I can just see poor Juan Gonzales, who just lost his factory job, to go out and hire a personal trainer for his overweight son for approximately $65/hour.

I think his solution will be the effect of the economy: they will go hungry!

November 2, 2009

On September 11, 2001, I was at work. At that time my office was at 2 World Trade Center, on the 91st floor.

I was just finishing my morning coffee when I looked out the window, which looked North, and saw the other building blow up. At the time I had no idea what happened. My first impression was that it was a construction accident and there was some kind of a gas explosion.

Anyway, we evacuated the office in a matter of minutes and headed downstairs. In every emergency training they tell you not to take the elevator but walk down. Well, I took the elevator and got down safely.

Unfortunately, several of my colleagues who were slow to evacuate and stayed behind lost their lives.

Once downstairs I was heading uptown. On the street I met a few of my co-workers and we walked together. We were already a safe distance away when the two buildings collapsed. Our office was in the rubbles.

This day was Tuesday. We stayed home for the rest of the week but on the following week we started to get our act together and started to work in other locations.

The company offered counseling service to us the survivors, but not too many employees took advantage of it.

As tragic as it was, we wanted to put this behind us and go on with our lives. Not to forget it but not to dwell on it either.

Everybody in my office have pictures of the people we lost. We remembered them every day, but life went on.

I know that firemen and policemen lost their lives on that tragic day as well as all the innocent people who just went to work and their only misfortune was that they were at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Now, here is my commentary about the situation today.

I am writing about this because the news in New York is full of a new Navy ship named USS New York that arrived here today. Her claim to fame is that there is seven tons of steel in her structure that came from the World Trade Center.

I am sick and tired of the WTC stories that are being controlled by some families who lost their loved ones. These families don't want life to go on.

Second World War was over in Europe in 1945. Eight years later, in 1953 Europe was rebuilt. No one was forcing the issue of memorials to the people who died there. Nobody held annual memorials where they read the names of the six million jews who were killed. People wanted to remember but at the same time wanted to go on with their lives.

Here, eight years later they still can't get the three or four buildings finalized because of constant arguments about disturbing certain areas where there might be remains.

It is a shame that people lost loved ones but please, let it go! I know families who lost their loved ones and they resent all this hullabaloo. They want to mourn in private and they want to go on with their lives.

Another thing bugging me is the constant talk about the heroes. Well, without any doubt the firemen and the police were heroes. They were the professional ones. There were countless nameless amateur heroes but nobody talks about them.

I guess the policemen/firemen lobby is stronger than the amateur lobby. The problem I have with this hero worship, is that to be a policemen or firemen is a very dangerous profession. When they go off to work they all expect to go home to their families at the end of the day. They don't deserve to die but it is not unexpected in their line of work.

But tragedies do happen. More to these people than to innocent office workers whose biggest "tragedy" during any work day would be if their computer conks out and they could not e-mail their friends.

I think it is time to stop this state of bereavement and let life go on as it should.

November 1, 2009

Today was the day for the New York City Marathon. It is 26.22 miles running through the five boroughs of New York. Television covers it from beginning to the end and it is quite interesting. Not only the informative coverage but the New York scenery both make it pleasant to watch.

Many years ago there were only a few thousand participants. Today there were 43,000. The participants' list is growing by leaps and bounds. When the winners cross the finish line there are people who are still crossing on the Verrazano Bridge from Staten Island to Brooklyn.

The women's race was very exciting since the Brit Paula Radcliff was leading almost until the last few miles when everything changed and a 37 year old Ethiopian woman won the race. The Americans were nowhere to be seen.

The men's race was a little more stable. It was won by an American in 2:09:15. This was the first time that an American won since 1982 so he is understandably deserves all the credit.

Except that he is American by naturalization. He is as American as I am. Not born and bred in the US but permitted to move here so the Americans can have a world class athlete in a sport where they don't have any.

I am not against naturalizing people. I was naturalized and I am proud to be an American. But to say that finally an American won is kind of stretching it. It is like naturalizing Pele or David Beckham and saying we finally have a world class soccer player.

What this country needs is homegrown talent and not ones bought for Dollar.

Now I have another observation.

At the beginning the races it was announced that they would start the elite group of women and men in that order.

Now the word elite according to the Oxford Dictionary means "a group of people regarded as the best in a particular society or organization". I don't argue with this. But to me the word "elite" also means outstanding and exemplary.

I don't see why those 18 or 20 runners from each group were the exemplary ones. Granted, they are the best marathoners in the world but hey, they do this for a living. Just as I did engineering for a living or a dishwasher does his work for a living. These runners get paid and paid well to run.

To me the elite and exemplary were the 43,000 runners who ran for their own reasons.

May that be for charity or for personal satisfaction but most of them completed the course. The exemplary are the handicapped ones who did it on wheelchairs or with the assistance of the Achilles Club. And at the end didn't get thousands of dollars prize money but only the respect of their friends and family for finishing something humongous.

These are the 43,000 stars that should shine.