Finally had time to sit down and "read" what there is to read in The Rag. Took about ten minutes. What interested me the most were the articles written by Barbara Cornish and Joy Vestal as their "vice presidential" official comments.
Both of them took off after the opposition, you know the people who have insisted on truth in advertising, in truth and transparency in all dealings and activities of UCO, who have asked hard questions and who now are vindicated by the facts of the road paving job.
For years we have been saying, shouting unto the heavens, that the job was pure garbage, that we were robbed of over five million dollars and the robbery was chaired by the three caballeros - David Israel, Ed Black and Bob Marshall. They shifted money without delegate approval, "signed" a contract of less than one page and did not even sign on the same page! They did not hire a project supervisor and the list goes on. Go to Gary's blog and read in Scandals for the details of this travesty of justice. It is a thorough study of it.
For years we have been saying we need to get money for repairs and been told no, you are wrong, only looking to cause trouble. There are years of life to go. Now we see that in one of their own meetings there is a life expectancy of perhaps 8 and a half years and the 2 million a year is insufficient for the purpose of repaving. So now who is standing with their thumbs up you know where - but the rest of us are going to have to pay the bill.
But Cornish and Vestal have nothing else to talk about, nothing about their quadrants. Only about term limits which Cornish now opposes, now that she is in the administration after being on the outs for quite some time - and do not forget that she resigned before, when she was not happy.
Vestal only has the time to rant about "doorknob protectors". Gimme a break! Gee, the other morning we were out very early and our paper was hanging on the doorknob for several hours. Wonder how many sneak thieves alerted to this?!
These two articles were ridiculous and indicative of a lack of proper work ethic by our officers. Bob Marshall, now that lightning has finally struck, or so he says, now only has the ability to rant about decals and AMR. I believe we have all gotten the message. On to something new, Bob, Please. Nausea is rising fast!
Our current UCO administration is ill, deathly so. Their protective walls are cracking and the sounds of that can be heard all over and thru the Village - and even in the world as yes, David Israel, you are not the only one with international readership, so shut up with that boast already. Who cares. The only concern we should all have is how do we fix our Village and NOT about protecting oneself from charges of incompetence and even stupidity - or worse.
"We may know with certainty that nothing belongs to us except our vices and sins. " So said Francis of Assisi and so I say to the members of UCO. Let us try to help you eliminate those sins and vices of omission and commission and let us all work for the benefit and betterment of the Village. I know that might be a difficult stretch for most of you, but try - if only to make sure that the memories of you, your "legacy" are not overwhelmingly composed of the sins you have committed against the Village during your administration. Think about it. We are here, waiting - and acting.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Friday, May 29, 2015
WHAT DO WE DO NOW?
What we do now is proceed using process and procedure and move both quickly and slowly in order to make sure that we are doing it right.
1. As it goes via good old Brooklynese - "Trow dem bums oudda here!" Out with the current administration who has brought us to this unacceptable and dangerous situation. I do not care how - impeachment, resignation, but they must go and at the very least....
2. Term limits must be reinstated.
3. There must be a very clear review of the whole road situation, engaging an engineer that is chosen not via their choice but via other recommendations as they are not to be trusted. All along they have brazenly lied about the situation and now here it is, blowing up in our collective face.
4.After we receive the report we must solicit bids and not from M&M Paving either. We must use the report with all the deficiencies outlined in order to craft a contract, a real contract, a legit contract of many pages and signed properly with full knowledge. All of this demands a proper RFP of course.
5. We must look into the situation if we, UCO, has the right to sue M&M and even attaching David Israel et al to the suit as complicit in its defects and signed with knowledge aforethought, whatever legal terms are to be used.
6. We need to draw up a cut to the bone budget after listing our priorities. We need to keep our infrastructure up to date and in good condition. We must keep our fences in proper condition and not dependent upon vegetation to hold it up! We must clean our waterways without one step leading to another bad consequence. This is a pathetic game of catchup which we will always lose! We must figure the best way to get the money we need in the time we have and possibly break the paving into segments with worst going first and taking care of the drainage before anything.
7. No whims or ridiculous or costly projects will be done over the next few years. Signage can wait, snacks can wait, fancy carpets and flooring can wait, furniture must be practical in duration and cost and we can go on and on.
But do it we must. We have been warning about this for years already. We have been shouting about the lies they roll out of their mouths, of the forked tongues they use to speak. Now perhaps you will listen and we will forbid ourselves from saying, "We told you so!" But let us begin and by the way, Howie, what is this "published information" and just where has it been hiding or been hidden? In the vegetation perhaps?
1. As it goes via good old Brooklynese - "Trow dem bums oudda here!" Out with the current administration who has brought us to this unacceptable and dangerous situation. I do not care how - impeachment, resignation, but they must go and at the very least....
2. Term limits must be reinstated.
3. There must be a very clear review of the whole road situation, engaging an engineer that is chosen not via their choice but via other recommendations as they are not to be trusted. All along they have brazenly lied about the situation and now here it is, blowing up in our collective face.
4.After we receive the report we must solicit bids and not from M&M Paving either. We must use the report with all the deficiencies outlined in order to craft a contract, a real contract, a legit contract of many pages and signed properly with full knowledge. All of this demands a proper RFP of course.
5. We must look into the situation if we, UCO, has the right to sue M&M and even attaching David Israel et al to the suit as complicit in its defects and signed with knowledge aforethought, whatever legal terms are to be used.
6. We need to draw up a cut to the bone budget after listing our priorities. We need to keep our infrastructure up to date and in good condition. We must keep our fences in proper condition and not dependent upon vegetation to hold it up! We must clean our waterways without one step leading to another bad consequence. This is a pathetic game of catchup which we will always lose! We must figure the best way to get the money we need in the time we have and possibly break the paving into segments with worst going first and taking care of the drainage before anything.
7. No whims or ridiculous or costly projects will be done over the next few years. Signage can wait, snacks can wait, fancy carpets and flooring can wait, furniture must be practical in duration and cost and we can go on and on.
But do it we must. We have been warning about this for years already. We have been shouting about the lies they roll out of their mouths, of the forked tongues they use to speak. Now perhaps you will listen and we will forbid ourselves from saying, "We told you so!" But let us begin and by the way, Howie, what is this "published information" and just where has it been hiding or been hidden? In the vegetation perhaps?
FEELING THE HEAT
It seems as if the heat is being felt in the "kitchen" of UCO. They do not like being called out for their faults, for their incompetencies, but if the shoe fits, then..... We all know the end of that saying.
I am given to understand that someone over there at The Rag is quite upset with the new name and the accusations against this paper. They make sure to tell the people that there is "plenty to read" by stating that on the front page. Sure there is, if you like ads, recipes, restaurant reviews, a book review, an article about the 50's, Lanny Howe's chess experience with a grandson, etc., etc. Sure, some people would like these articles and there is nothing inherently wrong about having them included. HOWEVER, where is the information that is supposed to be transmitted to the residents? Where are the writers, not just the same names again and again? Where is the spirited presentation of all sides of an issue that would allow the readers to decide for themselves what they believe and where they stand?
Inside UCO I guess maybe they can't stay in the kitchen for the heat. I advocated, yesterday, and many times before, that David Israel and Ed Black need to go. And they need to take along with them the rest of the "volunteers" who are out for themselves rather than for serving the needs of the residents. There are volunteers who are trying, who have given much of their time and they are to be praised, but there are also volunteers who have been royally shafted, tossed out into the proverbial cold without so much as a thank you. Where are the Greggs? Where is Neil Moore? Where are so many former officers? On the outs, that is where.
I will not name the good people who are still involved as to do so would only result in their being tossed out posthaste, but there is also a lot of trash, people who just want their little fiefdoms and who have sold their souls for it. If people feel the heat of this accusation then perhaps their inner souls are trying to tell them something. Perhaps they need to stop and think and evaluate. Right now Petey Boy and Gracie are whining because they feel that too many "enfeebled" (his choice of word) CV residents are reading my articles. Well, tough. That is called freedom of the press, free speech, civil rights and I could go on. If you are so concerned about it, then write something sensible. Try to refute me but in sensible statements, not whines, nor rants, nor plain old name calling and threats.
But their own little world continues and they are apparently oblivious to the realities of a changing world and the lack of sense in their statements is amazing. I am constantly being told that I do not know nor understand nor have various Ethernet capabilities. That is interesting as I have broadband, a plethora of devices, streaming possibilities, the best Comcast connection available and I use them, else how the hell would I be writing every day?!
But, a big but, or however, is right there, like the proverbial elephant in the living room. The world of cable, broadband, media is in such turmoil now along with a confused series of levels of governments that no one really knows what will be. One company is swallowing another, broadband delivery is STILL dependent on delivery by cable connections, so what the hell are we doing contemplating new contracts now. We need to sit tight. Broadband is here, and quite healthy, within the Village. Anything you want, from Hulu and Netflix or any other streaming site, is here, so what the hell is all the plotting about? Another selfish and thoughtless way in which to spend our money, money that will have to be raised thru increased fees, along with the $2 million a year for the roads and all the rest of the ridiculous financial assininity that is going on?
Let's fix our fences. Let's get a security system that works right and just does not take more and more pictures. Let us polish up the areas of the Village which look scruffy, especially along the grassy areas around the perimeter road. Pay attention to the trees that need trimming or are broken. Where are these volunteers whose responsibility is to go around the Village and check on these things? Their job is not to sit pretty and chat and drink water and eat snacks provided by the generosity of themselves to themselves. Nor is it to sit or stand in the lobby area of UCO and chat. Get things done, and done properly or get out. And by the way, the bus stop by Andover, across from Wellington E needs to be properly fixed. Throwing a bunch of rocks down in the gaping hole does not a fix make. It needs filling up with paving material. Do we need to have someone get seriously hurt before we take care of this? This has been brought to the attention of UCO for months, even years, already.
Getting too hot for you in the kitchen of UCO, in the kitchen of The Rag? Then get out of it. Cool off with a swim in the pool. Take a cold drink of ice water and chew on the ice. Or whatever, but stop messing up our Village for your own ego satisfaction.
And speaking of ego satisfaction and its cost to us, now they have admitted that their crap paving job which they have defended the past few years since its destructive appearance in our Village, is a piece of garbage and will last only perhaps another eight and a half years - maybe! - and thus the money for it will need to be increased putting many residents here in major financial straits. And you, Gracie, shut up with your stupid comments about how people need to afford living here. They could and would into the future if we did not have creeps and incompetents and egoists such as David Israel, Ed Black and Bob Marshall who got us here in the first place. Damn them to hell for getting us in this mess, denying their guilt and role in this and now they have to admit the truth. And cut the crap about how the delegates voted it. They did not manipulate the money. Your buddies did! You should all hang your heads in shame and cough up some money of your own to repay the Village for damages that you and yours cost us.
I am given to understand that someone over there at The Rag is quite upset with the new name and the accusations against this paper. They make sure to tell the people that there is "plenty to read" by stating that on the front page. Sure there is, if you like ads, recipes, restaurant reviews, a book review, an article about the 50's, Lanny Howe's chess experience with a grandson, etc., etc. Sure, some people would like these articles and there is nothing inherently wrong about having them included. HOWEVER, where is the information that is supposed to be transmitted to the residents? Where are the writers, not just the same names again and again? Where is the spirited presentation of all sides of an issue that would allow the readers to decide for themselves what they believe and where they stand?
Inside UCO I guess maybe they can't stay in the kitchen for the heat. I advocated, yesterday, and many times before, that David Israel and Ed Black need to go. And they need to take along with them the rest of the "volunteers" who are out for themselves rather than for serving the needs of the residents. There are volunteers who are trying, who have given much of their time and they are to be praised, but there are also volunteers who have been royally shafted, tossed out into the proverbial cold without so much as a thank you. Where are the Greggs? Where is Neil Moore? Where are so many former officers? On the outs, that is where.
I will not name the good people who are still involved as to do so would only result in their being tossed out posthaste, but there is also a lot of trash, people who just want their little fiefdoms and who have sold their souls for it. If people feel the heat of this accusation then perhaps their inner souls are trying to tell them something. Perhaps they need to stop and think and evaluate. Right now Petey Boy and Gracie are whining because they feel that too many "enfeebled" (his choice of word) CV residents are reading my articles. Well, tough. That is called freedom of the press, free speech, civil rights and I could go on. If you are so concerned about it, then write something sensible. Try to refute me but in sensible statements, not whines, nor rants, nor plain old name calling and threats.
But their own little world continues and they are apparently oblivious to the realities of a changing world and the lack of sense in their statements is amazing. I am constantly being told that I do not know nor understand nor have various Ethernet capabilities. That is interesting as I have broadband, a plethora of devices, streaming possibilities, the best Comcast connection available and I use them, else how the hell would I be writing every day?!
But, a big but, or however, is right there, like the proverbial elephant in the living room. The world of cable, broadband, media is in such turmoil now along with a confused series of levels of governments that no one really knows what will be. One company is swallowing another, broadband delivery is STILL dependent on delivery by cable connections, so what the hell are we doing contemplating new contracts now. We need to sit tight. Broadband is here, and quite healthy, within the Village. Anything you want, from Hulu and Netflix or any other streaming site, is here, so what the hell is all the plotting about? Another selfish and thoughtless way in which to spend our money, money that will have to be raised thru increased fees, along with the $2 million a year for the roads and all the rest of the ridiculous financial assininity that is going on?
Let's fix our fences. Let's get a security system that works right and just does not take more and more pictures. Let us polish up the areas of the Village which look scruffy, especially along the grassy areas around the perimeter road. Pay attention to the trees that need trimming or are broken. Where are these volunteers whose responsibility is to go around the Village and check on these things? Their job is not to sit pretty and chat and drink water and eat snacks provided by the generosity of themselves to themselves. Nor is it to sit or stand in the lobby area of UCO and chat. Get things done, and done properly or get out. And by the way, the bus stop by Andover, across from Wellington E needs to be properly fixed. Throwing a bunch of rocks down in the gaping hole does not a fix make. It needs filling up with paving material. Do we need to have someone get seriously hurt before we take care of this? This has been brought to the attention of UCO for months, even years, already.
Getting too hot for you in the kitchen of UCO, in the kitchen of The Rag? Then get out of it. Cool off with a swim in the pool. Take a cold drink of ice water and chew on the ice. Or whatever, but stop messing up our Village for your own ego satisfaction.
And speaking of ego satisfaction and its cost to us, now they have admitted that their crap paving job which they have defended the past few years since its destructive appearance in our Village, is a piece of garbage and will last only perhaps another eight and a half years - maybe! - and thus the money for it will need to be increased putting many residents here in major financial straits. And you, Gracie, shut up with your stupid comments about how people need to afford living here. They could and would into the future if we did not have creeps and incompetents and egoists such as David Israel, Ed Black and Bob Marshall who got us here in the first place. Damn them to hell for getting us in this mess, denying their guilt and role in this and now they have to admit the truth. And cut the crap about how the delegates voted it. They did not manipulate the money. Your buddies did! You should all hang your heads in shame and cough up some money of your own to repay the Village for damages that you and yours cost us.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
LIFE TODAY
Yesterday we saw Fury Road, the Mad Max movie. I must confess here that I loved the original ones, though I will not go see any Mel Gibson movies now, and I liked this one. Violent? Yes, but that is the vision of the post apocalyptic world of the future, the one where all of mankind's errors come home to roost and life is a desert - not a jungle, for there is no water to be freely had - sounds familiar from the drought in California and other west coast states - and people are crude, survival a desert in which only hate and mayhem serve any survival purpose. To have "human" and humane notions will only get one in trouble.
Now transfer this mess to the world of today. Think of the brutality of Boko Haram, of ISIS, the Taliban, of even our soldiers sent back time and again to such a hostile environment that they have no choice but to be affected. Even the choice of surrender or capture is not a choice for there appear to be no holds barred by the enemy.
So what do we do? Well, as the ending quotation flashed on the screen, wherein it was stated that man is constantly roaming the earth seeking our better selves, I thought of the meeting we had come from prior to the movie. It was a security meeting with PBSO, Homeland Security and the Palm Beach Jewish community with various organizations and synagogues and schools attending. This was a meeting which urged one how to prepare, to be proactive, rather than reactive after a terrible event, be it from nature or man made.
We heard several speakers, asked questions, received advice, and many made plans to proceed further on this road.
Such is the world today. Just looking at the pictures of the Houston disastrous flood and thanking G-d that my son and family had moved to another city, brought to mind the hurricane season fast approaching. It just takes one. So our synagogue will proceed along this path but I wonder why our Village has not done so.
I long ago, at a meeting, suggested disaster preparation and David Israel ran with it under his name. Fine, as long as the deed was done, but it seems that the committee never got off to a real start, so here we are without plans. What would happen should a truly bad or evil minded person get in the Village? How would we alert people, make sure they get to safety? What if the bad guy were here already, gun or guns in hand and again, how to alert all? Yes, we have some hurricane plans, but what if there were a massive flooding situation and people could not get to the Clubhouse parking lot for help and supplies? What if the roads were closed and the people trapped inside their homes? What then?
This is the kind of thing that needs committed volunteers, many of them, yet we have none, or are rather prevented from having any by the ridiculous and harmful policies of the current UCO administration. Pat Sealander begs for volunteers. Phyllis S. needs volunteers for Investigations. Joy Vestal, of The Rag, begs for volunteers and then turns them away or does not get any takers for all know what happens to volunteers now in UCO.
This is the kind of action that needs process and procedure, a practice which does not exist in UCO at present. Their only process is to push their own selfish ideas even as every day shows how deluded they are. Today there is a plan being put forward that would help poorer people to attain broadband. Surely that would affect many people here so again, why do we not sit down and shut up with these ridiculous and expensive and unnecessary plans about broadband and wait till everything shakes out. THERE IS ALREADY BROADBAND IN THE VILLAGE!! All that this new plan would do is get us into another Boca CV situation wherein they just had to cancel their Wi Fi agreement with DSL as, to put it bluntly, it was not working and not worth all the funds expended. At least we here in CVWPB fought it, fought David Israel, Ed Black and henchmen, and won, thank the Lord!
There are far more immediate and necessary projects that must move forward here in the Village. Let us get on with those and let us get on with the first step - term limit reinstatement and throwing out the trash in UCO. For our sake! For the sake of the survival of the Village. Before they kill it all. Before they take us all the way down to bankruptcy. Before all the vegetation holding up the fences collapse! (Love that line they delivered in the paper about the vegetation and the fence.)
Reading The Messenger newsletter is great, And, oh, by the way, we were not home most of the day when Seacrest left two items in our door. When we came home the house had been just fine but maybe we had just missed the huge horde of people evidently roaming the Village looking for doors with notes and planning robberies?! Maybe they had already gone to Greenbriar! Or to the paper. Reading is fine. Attending the meetings is fine - informative and fun. Amazing that they organized a Memorial Day program while UCO, as usual, sat on their thumbs. BUT - what is truly needed are votes, votes, and more votes. Get rid of your deadwood delegates and get those with a thinking brain, who understand that UCO must be changed, cleansed, and what is not needed is any more time with the current administration. What is needed is ACTION.
Now transfer this mess to the world of today. Think of the brutality of Boko Haram, of ISIS, the Taliban, of even our soldiers sent back time and again to such a hostile environment that they have no choice but to be affected. Even the choice of surrender or capture is not a choice for there appear to be no holds barred by the enemy.
So what do we do? Well, as the ending quotation flashed on the screen, wherein it was stated that man is constantly roaming the earth seeking our better selves, I thought of the meeting we had come from prior to the movie. It was a security meeting with PBSO, Homeland Security and the Palm Beach Jewish community with various organizations and synagogues and schools attending. This was a meeting which urged one how to prepare, to be proactive, rather than reactive after a terrible event, be it from nature or man made.
We heard several speakers, asked questions, received advice, and many made plans to proceed further on this road.
Such is the world today. Just looking at the pictures of the Houston disastrous flood and thanking G-d that my son and family had moved to another city, brought to mind the hurricane season fast approaching. It just takes one. So our synagogue will proceed along this path but I wonder why our Village has not done so.
I long ago, at a meeting, suggested disaster preparation and David Israel ran with it under his name. Fine, as long as the deed was done, but it seems that the committee never got off to a real start, so here we are without plans. What would happen should a truly bad or evil minded person get in the Village? How would we alert people, make sure they get to safety? What if the bad guy were here already, gun or guns in hand and again, how to alert all? Yes, we have some hurricane plans, but what if there were a massive flooding situation and people could not get to the Clubhouse parking lot for help and supplies? What if the roads were closed and the people trapped inside their homes? What then?
This is the kind of thing that needs committed volunteers, many of them, yet we have none, or are rather prevented from having any by the ridiculous and harmful policies of the current UCO administration. Pat Sealander begs for volunteers. Phyllis S. needs volunteers for Investigations. Joy Vestal, of The Rag, begs for volunteers and then turns them away or does not get any takers for all know what happens to volunteers now in UCO.
This is the kind of action that needs process and procedure, a practice which does not exist in UCO at present. Their only process is to push their own selfish ideas even as every day shows how deluded they are. Today there is a plan being put forward that would help poorer people to attain broadband. Surely that would affect many people here so again, why do we not sit down and shut up with these ridiculous and expensive and unnecessary plans about broadband and wait till everything shakes out. THERE IS ALREADY BROADBAND IN THE VILLAGE!! All that this new plan would do is get us into another Boca CV situation wherein they just had to cancel their Wi Fi agreement with DSL as, to put it bluntly, it was not working and not worth all the funds expended. At least we here in CVWPB fought it, fought David Israel, Ed Black and henchmen, and won, thank the Lord!
There are far more immediate and necessary projects that must move forward here in the Village. Let us get on with those and let us get on with the first step - term limit reinstatement and throwing out the trash in UCO. For our sake! For the sake of the survival of the Village. Before they kill it all. Before they take us all the way down to bankruptcy. Before all the vegetation holding up the fences collapse! (Love that line they delivered in the paper about the vegetation and the fence.)
Reading The Messenger newsletter is great, And, oh, by the way, we were not home most of the day when Seacrest left two items in our door. When we came home the house had been just fine but maybe we had just missed the huge horde of people evidently roaming the Village looking for doors with notes and planning robberies?! Maybe they had already gone to Greenbriar! Or to the paper. Reading is fine. Attending the meetings is fine - informative and fun. Amazing that they organized a Memorial Day program while UCO, as usual, sat on their thumbs. BUT - what is truly needed are votes, votes, and more votes. Get rid of your deadwood delegates and get those with a thinking brain, who understand that UCO must be changed, cleansed, and what is not needed is any more time with the current administration. What is needed is ACTION.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
IT IS ALL IN THE WORDS, ISN'T IT?
People's words give them away. They might like to pretend that they are other than what they truly are, but out of the mouths.... or out of the keyboard, shall we say..... I do not pretend to be other than what I am, an outspoken person who will take up the cudgels of the words to fight for what I think is right despite attempts to shut me up or intimidate me. As Popeye always said, " I yam what I yam."
So I like to read other people's words and see if I agree or disagree and this past long weekend allowed me to do so at great length. There were two immensely important and worthwhile op-eds in the Times from which I will quote and then there was a book, but first the op-eds.
In "Rule by Velvet Fist" the two authors might have paid a visit to our Village. "....a new brand of authoritarian government has evolved....the "soft" dictators concentrate power, stifling opposition and eliminating checks and balances...." (underlining is all mine).
.....they ... threaten to reshape the world order in their image, replacing principles of freedom and law with cynicism and corruption."
Now simply move those phrases from the macrocosmic world to the microcosmic world of CV and the dictatorship within perpetrated upon us by David Israel and Ed Black, significantly two people who have subverted the process of law that would have forbidden one from running and that would have thus avoided the rule of a man NOT ELECTED nor approved of by the electorate to be in positions that determine the paths of their lives - and to their detriment.
"This new autocrat uses propaganda, censorship and other information based tricks to inflate their ratings and to convince citizens of their superiority...."
Does this all not sound familiar? It is the blueprint of the almost three terms of growing dictatorship of the Israel administration. Censorship of paper, censorship of media channels, censorship and banning from public places - all there and growing - gives me a chill as there are other more terrible people who used these techniques too. Think about all this and think about all the garbage that these men and their henchmen have thrust upon us over the past few years and increasingly so now that they might possibly be thrown out or banned from office.
Now let us tackle one of their huge projects that they are so obsessed with getting in place as their "legacy", G-d help us! Paul Krugman, a well respected Times writer, posted an article called "The Big Meh", a "technical" term meaning a big so what. In this article he writes of the illusion that some have over the importance and life changing effects of the Internet and all that goes along with it. He disputes this and asks, "What if technology isn't all that?" Yes, it is good in that it allows a reaching out, a connection to others, a broadening of horizons, access to research - But, and a big BUT, it also allows for a connection - a nefarious one at that and isn't it timely that today the IRS announces a breach of their system, never mind all the stores, social media sites, companies, banks, health related sites, etc. that have been breached. Do not forget, either, the individuals who have been hacked, their identities stolen, down to the kids whose SSN's have been ripped off and when these kids get older just watch what happens when they apply for credit. It has happened over and over again.
You see, there are two sides to any coin and we must remember to look at both sides before making a terrible and costly decision, costly and so unnecessary if only we had thought ahead. Krugman says we need to scale back the hype and really understand what this all means and entails and if all this hype and pie in the sky is really new or a replay in version 2. He states that "Don't I understand that everything is different now? Well, I understand why people like to say that. But that doesn't make it true.
Finally, I read a truly frightening book called Future Crimes by Marc Goodman. It relates the possible complications and crimes arising from careless installation of this brave new world, what has been done already and where we are vulnerable and how this will continue into the future. The hacking, especially of large networks, the toehold that is all that is needed, the statement that he quotes from a former Senator, "Technology......is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand and it stabs you in the back with the other."
Now my most unfavorite people will send me emails that I am a Luddite, that I do not understand, that I am nasty for saying this and er....Fred....er Ed will send me another email, as he did yesterday telling me to drop dead and take Olga with me. I could care less, just despise their irrational and out of place nastiness, but all their screams and shouts and denials does not make their statements true nor mine false.
Read this book in small bites as it provides much to think about. Let us indeed use fast connections, get on line with the latest streaming and improve our entertainment capabilities and even our business connections, but let us all remember that there are nasty people out there who are a lot quicker than us to see the evil potential and see all the sacrificial lambs out there. Use, but use it wisely and remember - what if it is all just a big meh?
Turn down David Israel's roundabout path to his Wi Fi again with his broadband initiative or rather sneak attack. Decide for YOURSELF what it is that YOU want and not for others to decide for you, not for others to take YOUR money and spend it on their whims and wishes and that goes for everything. Stand up and demand your rights. Stand up and demand an accounting. Stand up and demand explanations and do not accept answers that state that , oh, no, the fence is not falling down - it is held up by the vegetation! Excuse me? Is that an answer? Is that the security we want and need or is it better that we use money to fix our fences rather than spend $100,000 on a stupid sign and landscaping or a system of broadband which is both unnecessary and wasteful? It is up to us - up to you. Make sure YOU are not a big meh.
So I like to read other people's words and see if I agree or disagree and this past long weekend allowed me to do so at great length. There were two immensely important and worthwhile op-eds in the Times from which I will quote and then there was a book, but first the op-eds.
In "Rule by Velvet Fist" the two authors might have paid a visit to our Village. "....a new brand of authoritarian government has evolved....the "soft" dictators concentrate power, stifling opposition and eliminating checks and balances...." (underlining is all mine).
.....they ... threaten to reshape the world order in their image, replacing principles of freedom and law with cynicism and corruption."
Now simply move those phrases from the macrocosmic world to the microcosmic world of CV and the dictatorship within perpetrated upon us by David Israel and Ed Black, significantly two people who have subverted the process of law that would have forbidden one from running and that would have thus avoided the rule of a man NOT ELECTED nor approved of by the electorate to be in positions that determine the paths of their lives - and to their detriment.
"This new autocrat uses propaganda, censorship and other information based tricks to inflate their ratings and to convince citizens of their superiority...."
Does this all not sound familiar? It is the blueprint of the almost three terms of growing dictatorship of the Israel administration. Censorship of paper, censorship of media channels, censorship and banning from public places - all there and growing - gives me a chill as there are other more terrible people who used these techniques too. Think about all this and think about all the garbage that these men and their henchmen have thrust upon us over the past few years and increasingly so now that they might possibly be thrown out or banned from office.
Now let us tackle one of their huge projects that they are so obsessed with getting in place as their "legacy", G-d help us! Paul Krugman, a well respected Times writer, posted an article called "The Big Meh", a "technical" term meaning a big so what. In this article he writes of the illusion that some have over the importance and life changing effects of the Internet and all that goes along with it. He disputes this and asks, "What if technology isn't all that?" Yes, it is good in that it allows a reaching out, a connection to others, a broadening of horizons, access to research - But, and a big BUT, it also allows for a connection - a nefarious one at that and isn't it timely that today the IRS announces a breach of their system, never mind all the stores, social media sites, companies, banks, health related sites, etc. that have been breached. Do not forget, either, the individuals who have been hacked, their identities stolen, down to the kids whose SSN's have been ripped off and when these kids get older just watch what happens when they apply for credit. It has happened over and over again.
You see, there are two sides to any coin and we must remember to look at both sides before making a terrible and costly decision, costly and so unnecessary if only we had thought ahead. Krugman says we need to scale back the hype and really understand what this all means and entails and if all this hype and pie in the sky is really new or a replay in version 2. He states that "Don't I understand that everything is different now? Well, I understand why people like to say that. But that doesn't make it true.
Finally, I read a truly frightening book called Future Crimes by Marc Goodman. It relates the possible complications and crimes arising from careless installation of this brave new world, what has been done already and where we are vulnerable and how this will continue into the future. The hacking, especially of large networks, the toehold that is all that is needed, the statement that he quotes from a former Senator, "Technology......is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand and it stabs you in the back with the other."
Now my most unfavorite people will send me emails that I am a Luddite, that I do not understand, that I am nasty for saying this and er....Fred....er Ed will send me another email, as he did yesterday telling me to drop dead and take Olga with me. I could care less, just despise their irrational and out of place nastiness, but all their screams and shouts and denials does not make their statements true nor mine false.
Read this book in small bites as it provides much to think about. Let us indeed use fast connections, get on line with the latest streaming and improve our entertainment capabilities and even our business connections, but let us all remember that there are nasty people out there who are a lot quicker than us to see the evil potential and see all the sacrificial lambs out there. Use, but use it wisely and remember - what if it is all just a big meh?
Turn down David Israel's roundabout path to his Wi Fi again with his broadband initiative or rather sneak attack. Decide for YOURSELF what it is that YOU want and not for others to decide for you, not for others to take YOUR money and spend it on their whims and wishes and that goes for everything. Stand up and demand your rights. Stand up and demand an accounting. Stand up and demand explanations and do not accept answers that state that , oh, no, the fence is not falling down - it is held up by the vegetation! Excuse me? Is that an answer? Is that the security we want and need or is it better that we use money to fix our fences rather than spend $100,000 on a stupid sign and landscaping or a system of broadband which is both unnecessary and wasteful? It is up to us - up to you. Make sure YOU are not a big meh.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
SAY IT AIN'T SO! SAY IT AIN'T SO!!
"The UCO Reporter promises to continue its long held beliefs that this publication will print articles to inform our residents of the important issues concerning our Village. We promise to seek the truth and to print both sides of an issue, to open dialogue to inform our readers, not to create controversy. We promise to listen to your concerns and to treat all our residents with courtesy and respect. Your opinion is valuable to us and will be considered in our decision for publication."
Unfortunately, when we look at the paragraph above, we must sadly conclude that oh, yes, it is so, so sadly so, a breaking of the trust, a misbegotten imitation of what a newspaper is supposed to be, a total twisting and betrayal of the stated mission of The Reporter, henceforth referred to herein as The Rag.
While having another posting in mind, those thoughts quickly gave way to these upon opening my computer last nite and checking my various websites. This has got to be THE worst issue of the paper ever! Oh, correct, not if one compares it to the local Pennysaver or a local throwaway that is concerned more with the advertisements and filler items so that they can make some money and support themselves. Even that is suspect here as last year they were forgiven the $24,000 owed to UCO - and this year, to add insult to injury, they have now taken it upon themselves to PAY a person to handle ads - always the ads - for a minimum of half that $24,000 and it could be more. Funny, I had always thought this to be a VOLUNTEER paper!
Anyhow, let us take a look at their mission statement. "....articles to inform the residents of important issues concerning our Village." Uh huh, Lie #1. What is so all fired necessary and of importance to the Village about restaurant reviews, so much so that now we are treated to at least two an issue. Truly, will we now also be forced to abide by these reviews, since it seems that all that they print is what we are to believe. And by the way, who pays for the meals used as review basis? It had better not be UCO funds!
".....We promise to seek the truth and to print both sides of an issue, to open dialogue to inform our readers, not to create controversy.
Lie #2. When was the last time that both sides of a crucial, a critical issue was printed? When was the last time that a resident who opposed the views of the dictator of the back office, the man behind the curtain, was ever allowed to post and write about the contrasting/opposing viewpoint? The "not to create controversy" has been twisted to mean no opposition, no denial of anything that David Israel says or backs, or the words of Ed Black. Those writers who wish to contribute are told right to their faces - or to their backs - that NEVER will they be allowed to send in an article or have a letter to the editor accepted.
"....We promise to listen to your concerns and to treat all our residents with courtesy and respect. Your opinion is valuable to us ."
That is blatant Lie #3. There is no courtesy towards the opposition. There is even no courtesy to their own volunteers as they throw them out, under the bus, consign them to the depths of whatever they deem hell, should they displease them or the master one iota. The paper is now written by the same people, writing multiple, bland, boring, useless articles. This issue is a prime example of The Rag as it is now, with barely anything of interest or news. Our opinion valuable??? Yes, to us, but not to them.
So what appears to be the key topic of this latest issue of The Rag? The loud and nasty crusade against the only publication in the Village that is telling the truth. The only publication, aside from two blogs, that puts forth the truth, that puts forth a newsletter chock full of important topics written about by residents of the Village without censorship. It is a newsletter that has grown in leaps and bounds both in number of pages and also tremendously in its readership figures.
Joy Vestal, a VP AND the editor of The Rag - how's that for conflict of interest - is apoplectic about The Messenger. Tough, Joy. Deal with it. People are tired, so tired, of the pap you publish now, the pathetic stories of Lanny's family - who gives a crap, by the way, especially as we are not even getting the both sides of this "warm" family dynamic! If Lanny wishes to write about his family constantly and think all are on the seat's edge for the next installment, then here's an idea. Go write this on your own blog as I do! Otherwise, keep it to yourself, month after month.
It appears as if the second most important topic here is the advertising factor. Just count the pages of it. True Pennysaver numbers. It provides a background to the whining and lies of Vestal and even Cornish, as she too takes off over the fact that there is another publication here in the Village, a publication that is open to all, wanted by many, and part of our right to freedom of speech. Remember that one, Barbara? We just had Memorial Day where we were to remember those who fought to maintain those rights and here you go whining about their implementation here in the Village. I am truly disappointed, Barbara, about that and the many absences that you have already racked up in the short time since elections were held, about your selling out.
Truth? Concern about the residents? Courtesy? Truth? Truth? Truth? Both sides? Information, relevant information?
That is not what we are getting here. Time for a total change, a total ousting of the entire UCO slate, of the entire Rag slate and put in, elect in, new people who understand the responsibilities they then would take on and the honesty and dedication necessary to doing this. There is a strong push on to return term limits to our administration as they were since the beginning of UCO. I wonder if that is even enough. At this point, vote for the term limits, but maybe we also need to add impeachment to the mix?
Meanwhile, be alert for that gang of sneaky people who are climbing the stairs of the buildings looking for the issues that are hanging on doors. They are making their big plans to then rob the units. But then again, how many issues of the Advocate are left on doors throughout the year - and there are several doors that fit that description in my building alone! So we remove them if we know they are gone, and if not, we wait a couple of days and then remove them. Before the sneaky gang of checkers comes along, I guess, because thank G-d we have not had any problems with this nefariously motivated gang of invisible robbers!
Stop whining already. If you had done your jobs properly, held true to your own publication's words, then there would not be an issue here. BUT, BUT, you and your related fascists refuse to look in the mirror and see how what you are all now doing is so contrary to American standards, rights, and expectations, that you are all beyond the pale. Crawl back over the line but hurry up, time is a fleetin'.
Unfortunately, when we look at the paragraph above, we must sadly conclude that oh, yes, it is so, so sadly so, a breaking of the trust, a misbegotten imitation of what a newspaper is supposed to be, a total twisting and betrayal of the stated mission of The Reporter, henceforth referred to herein as The Rag.
While having another posting in mind, those thoughts quickly gave way to these upon opening my computer last nite and checking my various websites. This has got to be THE worst issue of the paper ever! Oh, correct, not if one compares it to the local Pennysaver or a local throwaway that is concerned more with the advertisements and filler items so that they can make some money and support themselves. Even that is suspect here as last year they were forgiven the $24,000 owed to UCO - and this year, to add insult to injury, they have now taken it upon themselves to PAY a person to handle ads - always the ads - for a minimum of half that $24,000 and it could be more. Funny, I had always thought this to be a VOLUNTEER paper!
Anyhow, let us take a look at their mission statement. "....articles to inform the residents of important issues concerning our Village." Uh huh, Lie #1. What is so all fired necessary and of importance to the Village about restaurant reviews, so much so that now we are treated to at least two an issue. Truly, will we now also be forced to abide by these reviews, since it seems that all that they print is what we are to believe. And by the way, who pays for the meals used as review basis? It had better not be UCO funds!
".....We promise to seek the truth and to print both sides of an issue, to open dialogue to inform our readers, not to create controversy.
Lie #2. When was the last time that both sides of a crucial, a critical issue was printed? When was the last time that a resident who opposed the views of the dictator of the back office, the man behind the curtain, was ever allowed to post and write about the contrasting/opposing viewpoint? The "not to create controversy" has been twisted to mean no opposition, no denial of anything that David Israel says or backs, or the words of Ed Black. Those writers who wish to contribute are told right to their faces - or to their backs - that NEVER will they be allowed to send in an article or have a letter to the editor accepted.
"....We promise to listen to your concerns and to treat all our residents with courtesy and respect. Your opinion is valuable to us ."
That is blatant Lie #3. There is no courtesy towards the opposition. There is even no courtesy to their own volunteers as they throw them out, under the bus, consign them to the depths of whatever they deem hell, should they displease them or the master one iota. The paper is now written by the same people, writing multiple, bland, boring, useless articles. This issue is a prime example of The Rag as it is now, with barely anything of interest or news. Our opinion valuable??? Yes, to us, but not to them.
So what appears to be the key topic of this latest issue of The Rag? The loud and nasty crusade against the only publication in the Village that is telling the truth. The only publication, aside from two blogs, that puts forth the truth, that puts forth a newsletter chock full of important topics written about by residents of the Village without censorship. It is a newsletter that has grown in leaps and bounds both in number of pages and also tremendously in its readership figures.
Joy Vestal, a VP AND the editor of The Rag - how's that for conflict of interest - is apoplectic about The Messenger. Tough, Joy. Deal with it. People are tired, so tired, of the pap you publish now, the pathetic stories of Lanny's family - who gives a crap, by the way, especially as we are not even getting the both sides of this "warm" family dynamic! If Lanny wishes to write about his family constantly and think all are on the seat's edge for the next installment, then here's an idea. Go write this on your own blog as I do! Otherwise, keep it to yourself, month after month.
It appears as if the second most important topic here is the advertising factor. Just count the pages of it. True Pennysaver numbers. It provides a background to the whining and lies of Vestal and even Cornish, as she too takes off over the fact that there is another publication here in the Village, a publication that is open to all, wanted by many, and part of our right to freedom of speech. Remember that one, Barbara? We just had Memorial Day where we were to remember those who fought to maintain those rights and here you go whining about their implementation here in the Village. I am truly disappointed, Barbara, about that and the many absences that you have already racked up in the short time since elections were held, about your selling out.
Truth? Concern about the residents? Courtesy? Truth? Truth? Truth? Both sides? Information, relevant information?
That is not what we are getting here. Time for a total change, a total ousting of the entire UCO slate, of the entire Rag slate and put in, elect in, new people who understand the responsibilities they then would take on and the honesty and dedication necessary to doing this. There is a strong push on to return term limits to our administration as they were since the beginning of UCO. I wonder if that is even enough. At this point, vote for the term limits, but maybe we also need to add impeachment to the mix?
Meanwhile, be alert for that gang of sneaky people who are climbing the stairs of the buildings looking for the issues that are hanging on doors. They are making their big plans to then rob the units. But then again, how many issues of the Advocate are left on doors throughout the year - and there are several doors that fit that description in my building alone! So we remove them if we know they are gone, and if not, we wait a couple of days and then remove them. Before the sneaky gang of checkers comes along, I guess, because thank G-d we have not had any problems with this nefariously motivated gang of invisible robbers!
Stop whining already. If you had done your jobs properly, held true to your own publication's words, then there would not be an issue here. BUT, BUT, you and your related fascists refuse to look in the mirror and see how what you are all now doing is so contrary to American standards, rights, and expectations, that you are all beyond the pale. Crawl back over the line but hurry up, time is a fleetin'.
Friday, May 22, 2015
THE NEXT THREE DAYS
For the next three days I will be away from the computer due to a holiday. I will return either late Monday nite or Tuesday during the say. in the meanwhile, take the time to catch up on some of the postings you have missed and have a good Memorial Day, attend the ceremony held at Golf's Edge sponsored by The Messenger Club. For those who celebrate the holiday of Shavuot, a happy holiday, a good Yomtov.See ya all in a few days.
IT'S A SMALL WORLD, AIN'T IT?
One of the recurring themes of Shakespeare is that of the world of man and the world of Nature and how they are reflected in and by each other. Well, look at the world of nature today, and then at our world, that of man, and I daresay that this motif is still true, quite valid. That is one of the things that makes Shakespeare timeless.
Our world is in disarray. Desperate people send a frantic message from Palmyra that they are through and another city falls to the barbaric ISIS and more of the world's ancient cultural remnants go down the tube along with the people who will be slaughtered and oppressed. Literally thousands upon thousands of illegal migrants are desperate enough to ship out in prisonlike conditions, trying to reach a land where they can be free or safe or able to earn a living out of the deep poverty of their homeland. Thousands die or are rescued and then left to rot in refugee camps in dire straits.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in Syria.
Women, who are supposedly in one of the best situations they have ever been in, supposedly allowed to flourish, to enter professions, to be citizens with full rights - well, excuse me while I finish my coughing and choking spell. Just look at the world. Women in fundamentalist worlds, be they Moslem, Christian or Jewish or any other, are being enshrouded more and more in drab, anonymous clothing, not allowed to drive or move freely, many kept inside with no permission or right to education, to free thoughts and actions, to see a doctor if it is male, to earn a living. They are subjected to rape as a tool of war, a tactical strategy, purposely impregnated. And this is not just in the Third World, mind you.
We have a graduate in Columbia who continued to drag the mattress which represents the horrifically pathetic manner in which her sexual assault case was handled, or rather not!. We have the increasing rape of women on campus, increased sexual assault and still it is swept under the rug, especially if the offender is an athlete who helps fill the coffers of the school. We have the sexual assault still going on not only in our armed forces per se, but even in our military academies where the elite, the brightest applicants are being educated, and yet, this barbaric behavior continues among those who are to be leaders of the future. And what else? Aha! Yes! Let us return to the years and decades of back alley abortions where desperate girls and women are killed by butchers and why? Because they are allowed no control over their own bodies. Prejudice continues rampant, anti Semitism grows in leaps and bounds and while I am no fan of Obama, what happened when he opened on Twitter is shameful and worse.
We have the Cold War going again with Russia. We have two of their denied troops captured in Ukraine, wounded, and going on trial for terrorism and Russia denies the facts at hand. We have Russia salivating, looking at Latvia, again, planning as to how to break it into teeny sections and rule it again, anything to rebuild their hegemony and shatter the ring of NATO. We have China threatening, cyber attacking, buying our debts, Iran telling US how they will comply or not with a possible nuclear treaty and the answer to the fears, the righteous fears of other nations in the area is to promise them more arms, tanks, missiles? Should we also provide more body bags? More nuclear suits? Perhaps build bomb shelters as of old or maybe give them more desks to cower under as we used to do in the fifties as part of nuclear drills. Truly would have helped, right?
And in Nature what do we have. We have droughts wherein we are now being warned will lead to shortages in the nation's fruits and vegetables to a large degree. The avian flu has led to a shortage of chickens and eggs. Soon we will be told that due to the shortage of eggs there will be a shortage of flu vaccine for they are grown in the medium of eggs and then what will we have, a return to those years when we stood on line for hours at Publix trying to get the shots? We have floods and monster storms and tornadoes. We have destructive earthquakes and thousands die, never mind the property damage. Think G-d is trying to tell us something?
And why is the world a small one? Easy. A disaster in one part of the world, a nasty attitude and way of thinking in one part of the world transfers itself to another. Terrorists and brainwashed or coerced people are sent from elsewhere to kill and maim, or even recruited right here, so there is no hiding from the world and its woes.
Nor do we stand isolated from the world here in the Village. The cynical political attitudes of the politicians are here as well, the selfishness, the could care less attitude towards the electorate, the huge wasting of funds and the ignoring of the rules set forth to protect the electorate, the residents of the Village. How about this one? Not too long ago we were able to read in one of DI's postings that "they" were considering bids for the restriping of the perimeter roads. There appeared to be two bids. Did these bids ever come to fruition? Were they passed on to the bid committee and discussed, on to the other committees and then the DA where it would be further discussed and voted upon? Nope! And yet, look at the restriping near the gate. Ah, ahem, process and procedure? Nope, and we are screwed again.
The examples are many and this posting long enough already. But there is much food for thought here. In the meanwhile, remember what this Monday stands for. It does not stand for sales, or the opening of the beach and summer season in the North or anywhere else, nor does it stand for the rule of clothing and it is now officially ok to wear white!. We forget that people laid down their lives, shed blood, lost loved ones, all to keep us safe, to protect our homes and rights. We should not give up those rights in the name of peace, in the name of oh, who cares and leave me alone. Pick up a paper today - a real one and the newsletter The Messenger. Read about what is right and wrong in our world, large and small. Chew on it and then chew on it again and think about what is at risk and what needs to be done.
Our world is in disarray. Desperate people send a frantic message from Palmyra that they are through and another city falls to the barbaric ISIS and more of the world's ancient cultural remnants go down the tube along with the people who will be slaughtered and oppressed. Literally thousands upon thousands of illegal migrants are desperate enough to ship out in prisonlike conditions, trying to reach a land where they can be free or safe or able to earn a living out of the deep poverty of their homeland. Thousands die or are rescued and then left to rot in refugee camps in dire straits.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in Syria.
Women, who are supposedly in one of the best situations they have ever been in, supposedly allowed to flourish, to enter professions, to be citizens with full rights - well, excuse me while I finish my coughing and choking spell. Just look at the world. Women in fundamentalist worlds, be they Moslem, Christian or Jewish or any other, are being enshrouded more and more in drab, anonymous clothing, not allowed to drive or move freely, many kept inside with no permission or right to education, to free thoughts and actions, to see a doctor if it is male, to earn a living. They are subjected to rape as a tool of war, a tactical strategy, purposely impregnated. And this is not just in the Third World, mind you.
We have a graduate in Columbia who continued to drag the mattress which represents the horrifically pathetic manner in which her sexual assault case was handled, or rather not!. We have the increasing rape of women on campus, increased sexual assault and still it is swept under the rug, especially if the offender is an athlete who helps fill the coffers of the school. We have the sexual assault still going on not only in our armed forces per se, but even in our military academies where the elite, the brightest applicants are being educated, and yet, this barbaric behavior continues among those who are to be leaders of the future. And what else? Aha! Yes! Let us return to the years and decades of back alley abortions where desperate girls and women are killed by butchers and why? Because they are allowed no control over their own bodies. Prejudice continues rampant, anti Semitism grows in leaps and bounds and while I am no fan of Obama, what happened when he opened on Twitter is shameful and worse.
We have the Cold War going again with Russia. We have two of their denied troops captured in Ukraine, wounded, and going on trial for terrorism and Russia denies the facts at hand. We have Russia salivating, looking at Latvia, again, planning as to how to break it into teeny sections and rule it again, anything to rebuild their hegemony and shatter the ring of NATO. We have China threatening, cyber attacking, buying our debts, Iran telling US how they will comply or not with a possible nuclear treaty and the answer to the fears, the righteous fears of other nations in the area is to promise them more arms, tanks, missiles? Should we also provide more body bags? More nuclear suits? Perhaps build bomb shelters as of old or maybe give them more desks to cower under as we used to do in the fifties as part of nuclear drills. Truly would have helped, right?
And in Nature what do we have. We have droughts wherein we are now being warned will lead to shortages in the nation's fruits and vegetables to a large degree. The avian flu has led to a shortage of chickens and eggs. Soon we will be told that due to the shortage of eggs there will be a shortage of flu vaccine for they are grown in the medium of eggs and then what will we have, a return to those years when we stood on line for hours at Publix trying to get the shots? We have floods and monster storms and tornadoes. We have destructive earthquakes and thousands die, never mind the property damage. Think G-d is trying to tell us something?
And why is the world a small one? Easy. A disaster in one part of the world, a nasty attitude and way of thinking in one part of the world transfers itself to another. Terrorists and brainwashed or coerced people are sent from elsewhere to kill and maim, or even recruited right here, so there is no hiding from the world and its woes.
Nor do we stand isolated from the world here in the Village. The cynical political attitudes of the politicians are here as well, the selfishness, the could care less attitude towards the electorate, the huge wasting of funds and the ignoring of the rules set forth to protect the electorate, the residents of the Village. How about this one? Not too long ago we were able to read in one of DI's postings that "they" were considering bids for the restriping of the perimeter roads. There appeared to be two bids. Did these bids ever come to fruition? Were they passed on to the bid committee and discussed, on to the other committees and then the DA where it would be further discussed and voted upon? Nope! And yet, look at the restriping near the gate. Ah, ahem, process and procedure? Nope, and we are screwed again.
The examples are many and this posting long enough already. But there is much food for thought here. In the meanwhile, remember what this Monday stands for. It does not stand for sales, or the opening of the beach and summer season in the North or anywhere else, nor does it stand for the rule of clothing and it is now officially ok to wear white!. We forget that people laid down their lives, shed blood, lost loved ones, all to keep us safe, to protect our homes and rights. We should not give up those rights in the name of peace, in the name of oh, who cares and leave me alone. Pick up a paper today - a real one and the newsletter The Messenger. Read about what is right and wrong in our world, large and small. Chew on it and then chew on it again and think about what is at risk and what needs to be done.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Buried Truths About Nazi Mass Murder and the Allied Victory
This is an op- ed taken from the NY Times with the byline of Roger Cohen. I often disagree with him, but not here. I have seen the movie about which he is writing and it is truly a nightmare of truth, a truth that people do not wish to acknowledge. Read and think.
A very important movie about the Holocaust made its way to New York City for the first time this week at the end of a tortuous journey that began 70 years ago when Allied forces and newsreel cameramen stumbled into Nazi concentration camps. Called “German Concentration Camps Factual Survey,” it is as unadorned as its title, a document shot in the moment to capture forever evidence of the unimaginable.
Made under the auspices of the British Ministry of Information, produced by Sidney Bernstein, the founder of Granada Television, assembled with advice from Alfred Hitchcock, the movie was meant to ram home to Germans what had been done in their name in the land of Goethe and Hölderlin.
Instead, after a rough cut of five of its planned six reels was shown at the Ministry on Sept. 29, 1945, it was buried for decades in the archives of Britain’s Imperial War Museum. Only recently was “Factual Survey” restored, digitized and completed by the museum’s staff with the incorporation of the sixth reel.
The documentary, shown at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, is therefore important not only for what it is — an overwhelming testament to Nazi depravity — but also for its strange history in which lessons lurk about shifting political priorities and shamed evasiveness.
I’ll start with the film itself, which places the viewer back in 1945, first in Bergen-Belsen. The camera proceeds from leafy tranquility in the approach to the camp, past listless prisoners inside, to the horror at the heart of the place. Emaciated bodies lie in piles. Unseeing eyes stare at infinity. Corpses are tossed into pits by well-fed German guards. Death is indiscriminate, young and old intertwined, amassed atop each other. The narration pauses. Silent screams seem to issue from each inert form to assert the humanity denied them.
Local burghers are brought in; they doff their hats in foul hypocrisy. Of course they knew. A young British soldier can hardly voice his outrage. The camera probes what Hollywood has since rendered in a thousand forms. In their rawness, the images carry a weight no studio perfection can attain.
This is how it was, a “Factual Survey.” Facts matter. As Bernstein intuited, the deniers were sure to come along. They multiply today, one reason the documentary is essential viewing.
The movie is also problematic. It moves from concentration camps in Germany — including Dachau and Buchenwald — to briefer glimpses of the extermination camps in Poland — Auschwitz and Majdanek — without making the connection between them: that by the end of the war large numbers of Jewish survivors of the Nazi annihilation facilities in the east had been driven in death marches to places like Buchenwald. Many of the skeletal figures we see are no doubt these.
Yet there is no mention of the Holocaust, scarcely an allusion to the Jews. Bernstein wanted a movie whose testimony to human cruelty, and call for vigilance against it, was universal; an argument can be made that by making the suffering nonspecific, this message was reinforced. It is also true, however, that the mass murder of European Jewry was an embarrassment to the Allies. In the joint “Declaration Concerning Atrocities” of October 1943, issued by Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin, there was no mention of the Jews, although by then millions had been gassed or shot. Even in 1945, the fate of the Jews was an awkward matter in London.
Besides, other priorities emerged. The Cold War loomed. West Germany was needed to fight that. It had to be rebuilt. There was no point beating the Germans over the head with their guilt. Or so the thinking went. Britain also faced in 1945 the ticklish question of Palestine, where Jews were rising up to fight British rule and demand a homeland. And so a powerful movie, with its own intriguing evasions, met yet further evasions, and slipped from sight into the archives.
The film’s suppression was the wrong call. Living in Germany after reunification, I came to see the generational battle to reveal what the Nazis did. “Factual Survey” might have accelerated that process. Jane Wells, the daughter of the producer, said that her father told her not completing the movie was the greatest regret of his life.
The Imperial War Museum, over-cautious about the movie’s distribution, has produced a 12-minute “orientation” film to follow it. In this, David Cesarani, a professor of history at Royal Holloway College, says: “Many British officials, including in the Ministry of Information, feared that if you pointed to Jewish suffering, if you spoke exclusively about the fate of Jews, about the horrors being inflicted upon the Jews, you would be in some way endorsing the Nazi position that the Jews were a people apart, a race apart.”
This looks like agonized intellectual contortion. It’s unpersuasive. Cut the “orientation,” distribute the movie far and wide, and let it tell every layer of its devastating, ultimately redemptive, story.
COWARDICE AND HEROISM
Most of us live our lives in a small world consisting of friends and family, of jobs and hobbies, and some concern about the world though our daily life seems to devour most of our time and energy as well as interest. There are times, though, that a person must rise to a challenge and must choose the nature of his being. Is he/she going to be a person of moral conduct and attitude, one who tries to better the world, one who must reach beyond one's normal arc, or is one going to be a coward and take the easy way, the harmful way, the one where others are trod upon in order to advance one's own position in life. Work it right, and you, too, can be a hero.
Yesterday, a woman of the first order died and was buried in Jerusalem.
"The last surviving member of the Revisionist movement’s Jewish Military Organization (ZZW) to have fought during the Warsaw Ghetto uprising was buried in Israel Wednesday afternoon.
Ziuta Hartman-Rutenberg, born in 1922 in Kielce, took part in the revolt against the Nazis as part of the underground group founded by members of the militant Jabotinsky Betar youth movement, which fought alongside the better known left-wing Jewish Combat Organization lead by Mordechai Anielewicz."
There are the heroes, the ordinary people who dare to do what others cannot, who rise to a level that is extraordinary. On the other hand, there are the cowards, those who are afraid of life, who have spent most of their lives in backrooms, in solitary jobs, with no or small families, few to care for or be cared by. It is safer if one does not open oneself to the love - and woes - of others. These are the people who snipe from the sidelines, who do not have the courage of a mouse and thus never commit themselves openly, using aliases and puppets, shills, to take the hits as well as give them.
I wrote yesterday of the nastiness of some people here in the Village and I must continue to do so today, for yesterday, "Fred", in one of his "pseudonyms" sent a comment that has nothing to do with the issues of the Village and was only meant to show nastiness, cause hurt, and actually just imprinted his viciousness even more. It did not strike the mark because it is so patently obvious in its lie and in its motivation, but it does serve to identify those whom we oppose, those whom we are trying to get rid of, out of office and out of the business of harming the Village. It is people like this who do not have the balls to write who they are, only using aliases and thinking they are "safe" from recrimination. Not so, you evil souls, not so at all.
Before I insert what was sent to me - and to Gerry - whose only connection here is that he is my husband, understand the truth of the matter. Less than a year ago, a man that Gerry admired, a man who has written books, a man respected in the world of scholars, a man with whom he had become close friends, died. That man was our rabbi, Rabbi Cohen. Every Saturday during the Rabbi's extended illness and affliction, Gerry would walk over in the afternoon to talk with him and his lovely wife, keep them company, was in touch with the children of the Rabbi and has taken it upon himself to help out Mrs. Rabbi, who herself is not physically well, when she is in the Village and speak often enough on the phone. So tell me, please, what other purpose could this moron have other than trying to hurt someone when he sent this comment. Unluckily for him, it missed its mark though it does illustrate the essence of what these people who hang around David Israel and Ed Black are. Here is what was sent - and I leave out the other lovely tidbits of the comments, for this was the dart that went astray, - "you and Gerry helped drive the last rabbi to an early grave with your behavior." Of course, he also had to add in that my family is ashamed of me. What an idiot, but the point is, that these comments have nothing to do with the issues at hand and are meant only to hurt, to harm and to be nasty.
This, people, is who rules the roost here in the Village and do not think that this nastiness and personality defects are only aimed at one or two targets. No! One cannot separate what is an intrinsic part of one's soul, of one's moral, or rather immoral makeup. Why do we allow them to continue in office, running their selfish government, their selfish and harmful administration? Why, because many of us just do not care, though after much hard work and abuse, the opposition is beginning to gain the upper hand and the present incompetents in office are running for shelter, disintegrating as we speak, not knowing what has hit them, what with blogs and protest and newsletters and downright disrespect for them and what they stand for and what they have done to the Village.
Isn't it time they were gone? Isn't it time to bar them from future terms until they have obeyed the rules of term limits and conflicts of interest? Isn't it time? Isn't it time?
You can help by voting on the my village blog for term limits.
Yesterday, a woman of the first order died and was buried in Jerusalem.
"The last surviving member of the Revisionist movement’s Jewish Military Organization (ZZW) to have fought during the Warsaw Ghetto uprising was buried in Israel Wednesday afternoon.
Ziuta Hartman-Rutenberg, born in 1922 in Kielce, took part in the revolt against the Nazis as part of the underground group founded by members of the militant Jabotinsky Betar youth movement, which fought alongside the better known left-wing Jewish Combat Organization lead by Mordechai Anielewicz."
There are the heroes, the ordinary people who dare to do what others cannot, who rise to a level that is extraordinary. On the other hand, there are the cowards, those who are afraid of life, who have spent most of their lives in backrooms, in solitary jobs, with no or small families, few to care for or be cared by. It is safer if one does not open oneself to the love - and woes - of others. These are the people who snipe from the sidelines, who do not have the courage of a mouse and thus never commit themselves openly, using aliases and puppets, shills, to take the hits as well as give them.
I wrote yesterday of the nastiness of some people here in the Village and I must continue to do so today, for yesterday, "Fred", in one of his "pseudonyms" sent a comment that has nothing to do with the issues of the Village and was only meant to show nastiness, cause hurt, and actually just imprinted his viciousness even more. It did not strike the mark because it is so patently obvious in its lie and in its motivation, but it does serve to identify those whom we oppose, those whom we are trying to get rid of, out of office and out of the business of harming the Village. It is people like this who do not have the balls to write who they are, only using aliases and thinking they are "safe" from recrimination. Not so, you evil souls, not so at all.
Before I insert what was sent to me - and to Gerry - whose only connection here is that he is my husband, understand the truth of the matter. Less than a year ago, a man that Gerry admired, a man who has written books, a man respected in the world of scholars, a man with whom he had become close friends, died. That man was our rabbi, Rabbi Cohen. Every Saturday during the Rabbi's extended illness and affliction, Gerry would walk over in the afternoon to talk with him and his lovely wife, keep them company, was in touch with the children of the Rabbi and has taken it upon himself to help out Mrs. Rabbi, who herself is not physically well, when she is in the Village and speak often enough on the phone. So tell me, please, what other purpose could this moron have other than trying to hurt someone when he sent this comment. Unluckily for him, it missed its mark though it does illustrate the essence of what these people who hang around David Israel and Ed Black are. Here is what was sent - and I leave out the other lovely tidbits of the comments, for this was the dart that went astray, - "you and Gerry helped drive the last rabbi to an early grave with your behavior." Of course, he also had to add in that my family is ashamed of me. What an idiot, but the point is, that these comments have nothing to do with the issues at hand and are meant only to hurt, to harm and to be nasty.
This, people, is who rules the roost here in the Village and do not think that this nastiness and personality defects are only aimed at one or two targets. No! One cannot separate what is an intrinsic part of one's soul, of one's moral, or rather immoral makeup. Why do we allow them to continue in office, running their selfish government, their selfish and harmful administration? Why, because many of us just do not care, though after much hard work and abuse, the opposition is beginning to gain the upper hand and the present incompetents in office are running for shelter, disintegrating as we speak, not knowing what has hit them, what with blogs and protest and newsletters and downright disrespect for them and what they stand for and what they have done to the Village.
Isn't it time they were gone? Isn't it time to bar them from future terms until they have obeyed the rules of term limits and conflicts of interest? Isn't it time? Isn't it time?
You can help by voting on the my village blog for term limits.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
HOME AGAIN, HOME AGA.....OOOHHH, THE NASTIES ARE BACK!
I was so happy to get home late yesterday after the races thru the airports to catch connecting planes, the ups and downs that kill my ears and the crazy schedules we had to meet. I miss the kids, but aahhh, to sleep in my own bed.
Last nite I actually had time to check comments and what do you know - there they were again, the Nasties, in full bloom. Fred.....er, Ed, Gracie, Petey Boy, in all their glory on my blog and David's. I do not know what makes them tick and it would be fun to be a fly on the wall in their session with a shrink!
So here I am, trying to write a blog which has a bit of culture and world views in it, pleasing myself if no one else, and here they come. Gracie tells me I am unloved, unwanted, a nasty person, a sore loser, no one will ever love me again, and now a joke, all according to her, along with other lovely additions. She makes my day, don't ya' think!
Then we have the nasty Petey Boy who never makes any comment worth while, worthy of the time it takes to type and click on, but who persists in his losing battle. You see, there is nothing that the minions can say that would make any sense or contribute to the discussion in any positive manner, so instead he engages in name calling, sounding just like Gracie, as if they are playing in the schoolyard. For heaven's sake - GROW UP! Try to think, to contribute in a positive manner or are you too busy buying more apartments and being a profiteer, Petey? Gracie - well, what can one say. One has to work with whatever size scoop G-d gave us.
But Fred....er, Ed - well that is another story. This man is dangerous. Allegedly, he has made some nasty, vicious statements all along, taken over UCO, threatened to have me killed in various manners, but lately has been quiet. Maybe because he does not feel well. So go home and rest, Quit UCO. But no, the man managed, yesterday, to insult so many groups it is amazing. He dissed women, political thinkers, Jews, Israelis, and the list goes on. The man is a hater, a dangerous person and he has his finger in all the pies of the Village.
And why is this so? Because he is allowed to do so by our "esteemed" president, David Israel or he has a Svengali effect on David Israel, but the end result is the same. AND WE ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN, WE ALLOW THIS TO REMAIN THE STATUS QUO IN THE VILLAGE. How? By allowing David Israel to remain in office. By allowing his to overturn the term limits ruling and remain in office a poisonous third term during which the aftereffects of the first two combined with the ineptness of the third term to bring us perilously close to disaster.
I do not care what illusions he is trying to weave with his budget "audit". We need a forensic audit of the past three terms to discover exactly what he has done, where the money has gone. He shows amounts in the budget and is he for real!!!! Now for the roads, you know, the roads for which we spent five million dollars and more, to get the crummiest job ever? Yeah, that one. Well, now we need to put away TWO MILLION a year for fifteen years to redo. First of all it would be a miracle from on high to make these roads last another fifteen years. And what about the drainage? And now he has suddenly returned to the budget funding needs for perimeter fencing. Guess he heard our thoughts on the need for replacement, especially in certain areas. In any case, all these funds will not be placed in a designated, reserve fund, but in the mish mash account. So even if, by some miracle, we were able to put aside these funds and more - an unlikely prospect unless we increase our payments to UCO disastrously, who the hell would know if the money were there waiting to be spent or had already been flushed down the toilet on various pet projects that are anti Village wishes?!
Now, to distract even more, and because he has nothing of any value to say, David Israel has published another letter dealing with the lawsuit. So big deal, it was dismissed. The plaintiffs have come back with a response. Stuff like this goes on all the time in lawsuits. That is why they drag on and on. The best thing would have been to admit total responsibility for his misdeeds in this affair and delineate the steps he has taken or proposed to take to alleviate the situation and not by this dream of putting aside $2 million a year even as other needs bloom and blossom. Does he think this is Trump Village, with millionaires living here and nary a financially pressed person around? Well, look again, fool, and see the reality. We have people who are struggling. We have people who are okay, and we have people who would be okay if they did not have to help children who are not, due to the economic fluxes of the times. But we do not have the capacity to put aside the enormous amount you now say we must.
So he continues to use scare tactics and verbiage. Try to print something of your own. I know it is hard, but try. Remember, my offer of tutoring, and it would be free for you so no cries of how much it is costing UCO! But write something original, all by yourself, no cheating, and leave the scare tactics out. No condominium or individual who gave money towards this lawsuit cost is liable for anything unless they are named as participating litigants. Stop scaring people, David Israel. Try to grow up too. Using words as a replacement hammer and intimidating people who do not know better is simply a continuation of your delegate assembly tactics, as are your statements that they disrupt the DA. How? By speaking their minds in an appropriate manner? By opposing you? You have already been scolded by the PBSO and told to stop using them as a threat. You sound like the old fashioned mother who would say, "Wait till your father gets home." Useless and stupid.
Well, no more of that. Stop the repression of rights here in the Village. Stop the stupidity and nonsense that harm all and help no one, not even you! Try to think of a positive manner in which to approach the problem. Hey, I have an idea - RESIGN! Do anything, but what you are doing now. It serves no purpose except for your pathetic and troublesome ego needs. It certainly does not serve the needs of the Village.
Oh dear, dearie me, now Lanny wants to behead us! Not a joke, Lanny, in this day and age. You see, here is a major difference between you, David and minions, and us. We do not threaten corporeal punishment or harm. We do not threaten nor advocate manhandling by PBSO officers or our own security guards. You do. We do not threaten to kill you. You do. We may advise mental therapy, but that is all and that is helpful advice, not a threat. Nor do we distinguish or use abusive terms due to gender, race, ethnic origin or religion. You do. We want what is best for the Village, not what is best for oneself on a personal basis. You do. So now exactly, who is it that needs help? Look into the mirror, all of you.
Last nite I actually had time to check comments and what do you know - there they were again, the Nasties, in full bloom. Fred.....er, Ed, Gracie, Petey Boy, in all their glory on my blog and David's. I do not know what makes them tick and it would be fun to be a fly on the wall in their session with a shrink!
So here I am, trying to write a blog which has a bit of culture and world views in it, pleasing myself if no one else, and here they come. Gracie tells me I am unloved, unwanted, a nasty person, a sore loser, no one will ever love me again, and now a joke, all according to her, along with other lovely additions. She makes my day, don't ya' think!
Then we have the nasty Petey Boy who never makes any comment worth while, worthy of the time it takes to type and click on, but who persists in his losing battle. You see, there is nothing that the minions can say that would make any sense or contribute to the discussion in any positive manner, so instead he engages in name calling, sounding just like Gracie, as if they are playing in the schoolyard. For heaven's sake - GROW UP! Try to think, to contribute in a positive manner or are you too busy buying more apartments and being a profiteer, Petey? Gracie - well, what can one say. One has to work with whatever size scoop G-d gave us.
But Fred....er, Ed - well that is another story. This man is dangerous. Allegedly, he has made some nasty, vicious statements all along, taken over UCO, threatened to have me killed in various manners, but lately has been quiet. Maybe because he does not feel well. So go home and rest, Quit UCO. But no, the man managed, yesterday, to insult so many groups it is amazing. He dissed women, political thinkers, Jews, Israelis, and the list goes on. The man is a hater, a dangerous person and he has his finger in all the pies of the Village.
And why is this so? Because he is allowed to do so by our "esteemed" president, David Israel or he has a Svengali effect on David Israel, but the end result is the same. AND WE ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN, WE ALLOW THIS TO REMAIN THE STATUS QUO IN THE VILLAGE. How? By allowing David Israel to remain in office. By allowing his to overturn the term limits ruling and remain in office a poisonous third term during which the aftereffects of the first two combined with the ineptness of the third term to bring us perilously close to disaster.
I do not care what illusions he is trying to weave with his budget "audit". We need a forensic audit of the past three terms to discover exactly what he has done, where the money has gone. He shows amounts in the budget and is he for real!!!! Now for the roads, you know, the roads for which we spent five million dollars and more, to get the crummiest job ever? Yeah, that one. Well, now we need to put away TWO MILLION a year for fifteen years to redo. First of all it would be a miracle from on high to make these roads last another fifteen years. And what about the drainage? And now he has suddenly returned to the budget funding needs for perimeter fencing. Guess he heard our thoughts on the need for replacement, especially in certain areas. In any case, all these funds will not be placed in a designated, reserve fund, but in the mish mash account. So even if, by some miracle, we were able to put aside these funds and more - an unlikely prospect unless we increase our payments to UCO disastrously, who the hell would know if the money were there waiting to be spent or had already been flushed down the toilet on various pet projects that are anti Village wishes?!
Now, to distract even more, and because he has nothing of any value to say, David Israel has published another letter dealing with the lawsuit. So big deal, it was dismissed. The plaintiffs have come back with a response. Stuff like this goes on all the time in lawsuits. That is why they drag on and on. The best thing would have been to admit total responsibility for his misdeeds in this affair and delineate the steps he has taken or proposed to take to alleviate the situation and not by this dream of putting aside $2 million a year even as other needs bloom and blossom. Does he think this is Trump Village, with millionaires living here and nary a financially pressed person around? Well, look again, fool, and see the reality. We have people who are struggling. We have people who are okay, and we have people who would be okay if they did not have to help children who are not, due to the economic fluxes of the times. But we do not have the capacity to put aside the enormous amount you now say we must.
So he continues to use scare tactics and verbiage. Try to print something of your own. I know it is hard, but try. Remember, my offer of tutoring, and it would be free for you so no cries of how much it is costing UCO! But write something original, all by yourself, no cheating, and leave the scare tactics out. No condominium or individual who gave money towards this lawsuit cost is liable for anything unless they are named as participating litigants. Stop scaring people, David Israel. Try to grow up too. Using words as a replacement hammer and intimidating people who do not know better is simply a continuation of your delegate assembly tactics, as are your statements that they disrupt the DA. How? By speaking their minds in an appropriate manner? By opposing you? You have already been scolded by the PBSO and told to stop using them as a threat. You sound like the old fashioned mother who would say, "Wait till your father gets home." Useless and stupid.
Well, no more of that. Stop the repression of rights here in the Village. Stop the stupidity and nonsense that harm all and help no one, not even you! Try to think of a positive manner in which to approach the problem. Hey, I have an idea - RESIGN! Do anything, but what you are doing now. It serves no purpose except for your pathetic and troublesome ego needs. It certainly does not serve the needs of the Village.
Oh dear, dearie me, now Lanny wants to behead us! Not a joke, Lanny, in this day and age. You see, here is a major difference between you, David and minions, and us. We do not threaten corporeal punishment or harm. We do not threaten nor advocate manhandling by PBSO officers or our own security guards. You do. We do not threaten to kill you. You do. We may advise mental therapy, but that is all and that is helpful advice, not a threat. Nor do we distinguish or use abusive terms due to gender, race, ethnic origin or religion. You do. We want what is best for the Village, not what is best for oneself on a personal basis. You do. So now exactly, who is it that needs help? Look into the mirror, all of you.
Monday, May 18, 2015
ACTUALLY.......
I borrowed the title idea from my little one here who starts any of his important announcements with the word actually, as in "Actually....I think you should live here forever." Hey, Gracie, wouldn't you love that! Not happening, though tempting.
So actually, what is the truth that we have been talking about lately. That dumb bunny who keeps emailing me, says that in actuality David Israel is the best thing to have hit the earth since who knows when. Thus I decided to take a look at the "major" accomplishments that he has made during his almost three full terms in office - and contrary to the expressed and favored rule that we always used - term limits.
So, here we go.
1. He has abused the philosophy and use of term limits and done so via political manipulation.
2. He has taken us to near bankruptcy with the paving contract, leaving us with $11,000 at one point.
3.He has given us a ....poor job of paving and repair as the roads are broken and prone to flooding and getting worse.
4. He has neglected our drainage system and thus contributed to our flooding.
5. He has corrupted our financial system by moving all funds into one account rather than keeping it in better controlled and more accountable multi accounts and thus increased the likelihood of near bankruptcy and/or lack of funds for present and especially future needs.
6. He has persisted in trying to foist upon the Village projects which they do not want nor have need of and refused to listen to alternative ideas for these projects.
7.He has put us in peril of financial ruin again and again.
8. He has destroyed the past records of the village in a manic attempt to place all under his control on the "cloud" and thus limiting the access to our records to any but his favored lackeys.
9. He has brought the Village to almost a standstill with his factioning of the population via poisonous statements and accusations, including several instances, well documented, of anti Semitic and anti religious remarks.
10. He has consistently worked in secret with companies to get his projects into the village and is continuing to do so at this very moment.
11.He has actively engaged in censorship, disallowing freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the free exchange of ideas.
12. He has colluded or "urged" WPRF to go along with these desires, increasing the negativity in the Village.
13. He has consistently threatened all opponents and openly done so in DA with his threat to call PBSO and have the speaker taken away and indeed, hired armed guards to intimidate the members of the audience at a DA, including Holocaust survivors who did not need a repetition of threats such as these in their present home and sanctuary.
14. He has allowed associations to fall into
decrepitude by refusing to reach out to those in trouble, to guide and advise and thus allowed the present situation to grow, with buildings being used as motels and units going for investments (including by his favorite playmates.)
15. He has turned UCO into an incestuous organization of couples and people who serve in multi positions, thus shutting out all else who volunteer and whose contributions and experience are lost to the village.
16. He is complicit in the downfall and degrading of the newspaper of the village - belonging to UCO which is US!
17. He is complicit in the downfall of a high functioning village Channel and censorship of said channel by removing the images and voices of people he does not like nor appreciate. (Ooohhh, I am so hurt.)
18. He has set a poor example and role model for his position, an incompetent chair of the DA as he bangs away with his gavel, screeches at people to sit down and flagrantly violates Robert's Rules.
19. He has neglected the needs of the infrastructure of the Village, allowing large areas of the outer fencing to deteriorate to the point of uselessness - and this with many warnings of their state of condition.
20. His administration has engaged in theft of private property from the doors of the units in order to suppress knowledge and free speech.
I am sure I have missed some other wonderful contributions that he has so kindly given us, so feel free to email me and I will add them to the list.
Actually? Actually, the man sucks!
So actually, what is the truth that we have been talking about lately. That dumb bunny who keeps emailing me, says that in actuality David Israel is the best thing to have hit the earth since who knows when. Thus I decided to take a look at the "major" accomplishments that he has made during his almost three full terms in office - and contrary to the expressed and favored rule that we always used - term limits.
So, here we go.
1. He has abused the philosophy and use of term limits and done so via political manipulation.
2. He has taken us to near bankruptcy with the paving contract, leaving us with $11,000 at one point.
3.He has given us a ....poor job of paving and repair as the roads are broken and prone to flooding and getting worse.
4. He has neglected our drainage system and thus contributed to our flooding.
5. He has corrupted our financial system by moving all funds into one account rather than keeping it in better controlled and more accountable multi accounts and thus increased the likelihood of near bankruptcy and/or lack of funds for present and especially future needs.
6. He has persisted in trying to foist upon the Village projects which they do not want nor have need of and refused to listen to alternative ideas for these projects.
7.He has put us in peril of financial ruin again and again.
8. He has destroyed the past records of the village in a manic attempt to place all under his control on the "cloud" and thus limiting the access to our records to any but his favored lackeys.
9. He has brought the Village to almost a standstill with his factioning of the population via poisonous statements and accusations, including several instances, well documented, of anti Semitic and anti religious remarks.
10. He has consistently worked in secret with companies to get his projects into the village and is continuing to do so at this very moment.
11.He has actively engaged in censorship, disallowing freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the free exchange of ideas.
12. He has colluded or "urged" WPRF to go along with these desires, increasing the negativity in the Village.
13. He has consistently threatened all opponents and openly done so in DA with his threat to call PBSO and have the speaker taken away and indeed, hired armed guards to intimidate the members of the audience at a DA, including Holocaust survivors who did not need a repetition of threats such as these in their present home and sanctuary.
14. He has allowed associations to fall into
decrepitude by refusing to reach out to those in trouble, to guide and advise and thus allowed the present situation to grow, with buildings being used as motels and units going for investments (including by his favorite playmates.)
15. He has turned UCO into an incestuous organization of couples and people who serve in multi positions, thus shutting out all else who volunteer and whose contributions and experience are lost to the village.
16. He is complicit in the downfall and degrading of the newspaper of the village - belonging to UCO which is US!
17. He is complicit in the downfall of a high functioning village Channel and censorship of said channel by removing the images and voices of people he does not like nor appreciate. (Ooohhh, I am so hurt.)
18. He has set a poor example and role model for his position, an incompetent chair of the DA as he bangs away with his gavel, screeches at people to sit down and flagrantly violates Robert's Rules.
19. He has neglected the needs of the infrastructure of the Village, allowing large areas of the outer fencing to deteriorate to the point of uselessness - and this with many warnings of their state of condition.
20. His administration has engaged in theft of private property from the doors of the units in order to suppress knowledge and free speech.
I am sure I have missed some other wonderful contributions that he has so kindly given us, so feel free to email me and I will add them to the list.
Actually? Actually, the man sucks!
Sunday, May 17, 2015
CHARACTER AND FATE
The eternal question has always been who controls our destiny? Do we make our own fate or do others do it for us? The answer, for the most part, is a combination, but there are always the hapless and helpless victims that have no choice.
Heraclitus made a famous statement, "Character is fate." As I think about it, I believe much of it is true, for our character traits, our ranked priorities in our own spiritual mind, often bend us to one choice or another. It is when we fight the truth that we fail and when we ignore the danger to us from the actions of others driven by their characters that we also face danger and peril with our fate. It is at that point that we must take action.
David Israel and Ed Black appear to be driven by their character, or what we would sometimes deem, lack thereof. There appears to be a lack of empathy with their electorate, though actually Ed Black HAS no electorate as he is simply a buttinsky, a power behind the throne, an illegitimate poser in UCO. Their characters which drive them are harmful, very much so, to our fate - to have or not have a viable Century Village or not, to have a Village which serves all, or only the few.
Carl Jung says, or warns, that "If you bring forth what is within you, it will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, it will destroy you." Think about it. Does that mean that the battle here is between what is within the current "leaders" of UCO and the residents, that we must choose what is best for them or for us?
We MUST choose ourselves. We must have the courage to know that our character and our fate are foremost, and are primary over the selfish character driven motives and actions of others. We must go with the right.We must go with what is best for the Village in the long run and that means proper financial planning, an open and transparent administration, a free press and media outlets, frank discussion and careful listening, a lack of selfishness on the part of the members of the administration and a proper use of ALL the people of the Village, all their intelligence, all their experience and not simply by a "chosen" few as it is at present.
This is all common sense. It is also a fact that if we do not choose to act then we allow others to choose our fate for us, to allow their characters to override ours. Democracy is driven by the rule of the majority in a free and open society where all have the right to speak, to write, to air their views. That is not the situation here as the democracy is truly NOT a democracy for we all know that censorship and intimidation and even vandalism are the rule of the day. Thanks, though, to a small and determined group that situation is changing and that small group has grown and continues to grow by leaps and bounds. The PBSO has made it clear that the cowardly calls for them to come rescue the incompetent chair of the DA must be stopped so now what will he do? He will be forced to allow the speakers and can shout out of order or sit down as much as he wants, he can shut the mics down, but justice and knowledge will prevail. That is the power of OUR character.
There is an old saying that "the mills of the gods grind slow, but they grind to powder." And we, as a character in a novel states, we are the grinding stones. Let us keep on grinding, having at the windmills, for we already have won victories and more will be coming down the road. Perhaps it is time for the current UCO officers and their subservients to examine their own characters and see if they are truly happy in their deeds. Perhaps the character that drove them to be sneaky spies, here and in a previous life prior to the Village, that caused them to ignore the needs of others, perhaps that same character can be changed, turned around. I kinda' doubt it, but hey, it can't hurt to try. What about it, guys? Remember Happy Days and the refrain, "When it's time to change...." That time is here, long past due.
Heraclitus made a famous statement, "Character is fate." As I think about it, I believe much of it is true, for our character traits, our ranked priorities in our own spiritual mind, often bend us to one choice or another. It is when we fight the truth that we fail and when we ignore the danger to us from the actions of others driven by their characters that we also face danger and peril with our fate. It is at that point that we must take action.
David Israel and Ed Black appear to be driven by their character, or what we would sometimes deem, lack thereof. There appears to be a lack of empathy with their electorate, though actually Ed Black HAS no electorate as he is simply a buttinsky, a power behind the throne, an illegitimate poser in UCO. Their characters which drive them are harmful, very much so, to our fate - to have or not have a viable Century Village or not, to have a Village which serves all, or only the few.
Carl Jung says, or warns, that "If you bring forth what is within you, it will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, it will destroy you." Think about it. Does that mean that the battle here is between what is within the current "leaders" of UCO and the residents, that we must choose what is best for them or for us?
We MUST choose ourselves. We must have the courage to know that our character and our fate are foremost, and are primary over the selfish character driven motives and actions of others. We must go with the right.We must go with what is best for the Village in the long run and that means proper financial planning, an open and transparent administration, a free press and media outlets, frank discussion and careful listening, a lack of selfishness on the part of the members of the administration and a proper use of ALL the people of the Village, all their intelligence, all their experience and not simply by a "chosen" few as it is at present.
This is all common sense. It is also a fact that if we do not choose to act then we allow others to choose our fate for us, to allow their characters to override ours. Democracy is driven by the rule of the majority in a free and open society where all have the right to speak, to write, to air their views. That is not the situation here as the democracy is truly NOT a democracy for we all know that censorship and intimidation and even vandalism are the rule of the day. Thanks, though, to a small and determined group that situation is changing and that small group has grown and continues to grow by leaps and bounds. The PBSO has made it clear that the cowardly calls for them to come rescue the incompetent chair of the DA must be stopped so now what will he do? He will be forced to allow the speakers and can shout out of order or sit down as much as he wants, he can shut the mics down, but justice and knowledge will prevail. That is the power of OUR character.
There is an old saying that "the mills of the gods grind slow, but they grind to powder." And we, as a character in a novel states, we are the grinding stones. Let us keep on grinding, having at the windmills, for we already have won victories and more will be coming down the road. Perhaps it is time for the current UCO officers and their subservients to examine their own characters and see if they are truly happy in their deeds. Perhaps the character that drove them to be sneaky spies, here and in a previous life prior to the Village, that caused them to ignore the needs of others, perhaps that same character can be changed, turned around. I kinda' doubt it, but hey, it can't hurt to try. What about it, guys? Remember Happy Days and the refrain, "When it's time to change...." That time is here, long past due.
Friday, May 15, 2015
IS THIS MAN FOR REAL? hOW STUPID DOES HE THINK WE ARE?
So does he think the silence is now broken as we see what is happening via the IFI? Really and truly? The issue should have been settled. Now we find that not only has he gone ahead with this but it seems, according to the wording of the notes, that this CSI has been officially contracted for the job and if not, then it appears to be a non legally signed fait accompli.
Now we find that Comcast was called in to talk to this non essential and incorrectly formed committee. I could have sworn that we resoundingly, unmistakenly, defeated the whole idea of village wide Wi Fi so why were they called in and then a paragraph "addressed" to try to scare people into thinking that Comcast will cancel their individual buildings and that there were rogue operatives who came to meeting after meeting and patiently explained everything.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ASSOCIATIONS INDIVIDUALLY WIRING UP. David Israel is trying to play with your heads again. Do not let him.
What about the statement that is clearly and easily available, that BOCA CENTURY IS CANCELLING, BREAKING OFF, THE CONTRACT WITH DSL FOR VILLAGE WIDE WI FI. Yes, the same contract that would have cost us millions, is now off as of May 31. And why? Because, frankly, ladies and gentlemen, it sucked. It was lousy, did not do the job, interfered with other connections to Internet and video communication, was not secure, demanded that routers be turned off, and on and on we go. This is what we would have had if we had caved in to another of his foolish, dangerously so, economic measures and plans. We would now be paying millions of dollars for garbage!
But he is not done. He is like the negative energizer bunny. He just goes on and on. Who the hell is CSI? Who had given UCO permission to engage in heavy duty talks about Village wide installation AGAIN!!!!! Why are we in the neighborhood of million dollar deals again? We already said no, no, no.
This Internet world and connections are changing so fast that it makes one's head spin. Yesterday the big news was Verizon going to buy AOL and combine. Verizon is heavily wired into our Village, has spent a lot of money doing so. Comcast, of course, is here too, and why should we not have our own choice about whom we wish to use, whose services we wish to have. I, in fact, have the top of Comcast, their Xbox 1, their best speed and am quite happy. I also have Verizon for a landline phone to be on the safe side and it worked the last time we had a power failure.
Perhaps if I get a better deal with Verizon I would switch, but who knows. I am not jumping into anything before the dust settles and that could be a while, but in the meanwhile, I have my connections and speeds and security down pat. (See, Gracie, the Luddite is YOU, and if you favor moving, YOU go back to Canada if you are so unhappy.)
It is no one's right nor business to tell me how I must connect to anything. It is not anywhere in our bylaws and agreements and I will not be forced to do so at a terrible and unbearable financial cost to us here in the Village just to satisfy the pathetic twisted dreams of a nowhere man and his nowhere buddy and followers. We will defeat this again and again until we throw this fool out of office and get some fresh air and ideas in.
And by the way, he is talking about an income generating web site? Whose? His private one? Or a proper Village owned and operated one, but again WHOSE? Will he blackball all contributions other than from his pathetic lackeys? Will it go under the purview of that incompetent and even malicious editor and VP Joy Vestal who kowtows to all of Israel's demands? Then if so, we cannot allow it and the only way we could and should have a Village web site is if David Israel and Ed Black were barred from any connection, from any sayso about it. It needs must be an independent operating site.
People, this whole idiocy of again trying to get a Village wide program here after we have conclusive evidence that it does not work and that his efforts for it are flawed in the extreme and could have cost and will cost us millions should it go through or have gone thru, this whole idiocy must be opposed, vehemently so, and trashed at delegate assembly and anywhere else. No more rule by gang of five or whatever small number it is. That is who comes to the "Broadband" committee meeting and that is who wishes to impose THEIR wishes upon you. NO NO NO.
Throw the bums out. (Hey, it is baseball season.) Break the silence. Break the dictatorship. Enough with hypocrisy. Enough with horrific financial planning or lack thereof. If we do not do this, are we looking at bankruptcy as all the hens come home to roost? Think about this, and quickly.
Now we find that Comcast was called in to talk to this non essential and incorrectly formed committee. I could have sworn that we resoundingly, unmistakenly, defeated the whole idea of village wide Wi Fi so why were they called in and then a paragraph "addressed" to try to scare people into thinking that Comcast will cancel their individual buildings and that there were rogue operatives who came to meeting after meeting and patiently explained everything.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ASSOCIATIONS INDIVIDUALLY WIRING UP. David Israel is trying to play with your heads again. Do not let him.
What about the statement that is clearly and easily available, that BOCA CENTURY IS CANCELLING, BREAKING OFF, THE CONTRACT WITH DSL FOR VILLAGE WIDE WI FI. Yes, the same contract that would have cost us millions, is now off as of May 31. And why? Because, frankly, ladies and gentlemen, it sucked. It was lousy, did not do the job, interfered with other connections to Internet and video communication, was not secure, demanded that routers be turned off, and on and on we go. This is what we would have had if we had caved in to another of his foolish, dangerously so, economic measures and plans. We would now be paying millions of dollars for garbage!
But he is not done. He is like the negative energizer bunny. He just goes on and on. Who the hell is CSI? Who had given UCO permission to engage in heavy duty talks about Village wide installation AGAIN!!!!! Why are we in the neighborhood of million dollar deals again? We already said no, no, no.
This Internet world and connections are changing so fast that it makes one's head spin. Yesterday the big news was Verizon going to buy AOL and combine. Verizon is heavily wired into our Village, has spent a lot of money doing so. Comcast, of course, is here too, and why should we not have our own choice about whom we wish to use, whose services we wish to have. I, in fact, have the top of Comcast, their Xbox 1, their best speed and am quite happy. I also have Verizon for a landline phone to be on the safe side and it worked the last time we had a power failure.
Perhaps if I get a better deal with Verizon I would switch, but who knows. I am not jumping into anything before the dust settles and that could be a while, but in the meanwhile, I have my connections and speeds and security down pat. (See, Gracie, the Luddite is YOU, and if you favor moving, YOU go back to Canada if you are so unhappy.)
It is no one's right nor business to tell me how I must connect to anything. It is not anywhere in our bylaws and agreements and I will not be forced to do so at a terrible and unbearable financial cost to us here in the Village just to satisfy the pathetic twisted dreams of a nowhere man and his nowhere buddy and followers. We will defeat this again and again until we throw this fool out of office and get some fresh air and ideas in.
And by the way, he is talking about an income generating web site? Whose? His private one? Or a proper Village owned and operated one, but again WHOSE? Will he blackball all contributions other than from his pathetic lackeys? Will it go under the purview of that incompetent and even malicious editor and VP Joy Vestal who kowtows to all of Israel's demands? Then if so, we cannot allow it and the only way we could and should have a Village web site is if David Israel and Ed Black were barred from any connection, from any sayso about it. It needs must be an independent operating site.
People, this whole idiocy of again trying to get a Village wide program here after we have conclusive evidence that it does not work and that his efforts for it are flawed in the extreme and could have cost and will cost us millions should it go through or have gone thru, this whole idiocy must be opposed, vehemently so, and trashed at delegate assembly and anywhere else. No more rule by gang of five or whatever small number it is. That is who comes to the "Broadband" committee meeting and that is who wishes to impose THEIR wishes upon you. NO NO NO.
Throw the bums out. (Hey, it is baseball season.) Break the silence. Break the dictatorship. Enough with hypocrisy. Enough with horrific financial planning or lack thereof. If we do not do this, are we looking at bankruptcy as all the hens come home to roost? Think about this, and quickly.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
SOUNDS OF SILENCE REDUX
As the annoyance with David Israel grows, with his lack of proper attention to the needs of the residents, both now and in the future, we wonder how long we have to put up with him and the incompetence, the dangerous incompetence, the selfishness of trying to implement his, and only his, wants and desires.
We already have lost millions of dollars. We have lost in the quality of our infrastructure. We have lost our media and the heights to which it had risen. Once we had a great Channel 63 and now it is a bulletin board. Once we had a great newspaper, The Reporter, and now we have The Rag, a useless piece of several pieces of paper that have lots of restaurant reviews, lots of cooking recipes, information on how to buy Indian clothes, and biased one sided partisan presentation of some issues in the Village and G-d forbid they should ever print the other side!
And now, welcome to the new look of David's purported Village blog. Lots of pretty pictures and colorful ads. Hey, I love rock and roll and would probably go, but this info could be found elsewhere. I believe there are far more important topics to be addressed. So why are they not? Because the man and his advisers - or boss - have nothing constructive to say, nothing helpful, nothing that can be believed so instead they work in secret, in an opaque setting so that they can spring their wasteful projects on us and hope they get it thru.
Well, delegates, this has got to stop or else we will find ourselves in a bind that will indeed be extremely difficult to undo. Term limits. A strong coalition against him and his henchmen and his policies - or lack thereof. A strong delegate assembly where questions are raised and answers demanded. He has been told that he may not call 911 for his stupid reasons, for the fact that he doesn't know how to properly chair, for the fact that he cannot abide any opposition and differing viewpoints, so have at him and his wasteful projects. Have at him and Ed Black for their ridiculous contracts such a the security one that we are having to deal with.
Stand up for our rights and let the noise begin. No more silence. We demand our rights be respected. We demand that our needs be addressed.
One way for us to end the silence in the assembly is to select better delegates, one who can think and understand their responsibility to vote as the association wishes, not to vote for poor choices because they are intimidated or because they are promised little fiefdoms. WE must make sure of whom we elect to the boards and whom we appoint as our delegates. Get rid of the deadwood and use the wonderful storage of intelligence and experience we have in this Village.
By the way, sorry for the late entry, but I am in Pittsburgh now, an interesting city, and my little ones here have first priority of course. Important topics come up, such as new sports equipment, books to be bought, clothes that are absolutely necessary, and of course, more super hero figures and accessories. But I will find the time to write, albeit not as early as I usually do. Thanks for your patience.
We already have lost millions of dollars. We have lost in the quality of our infrastructure. We have lost our media and the heights to which it had risen. Once we had a great Channel 63 and now it is a bulletin board. Once we had a great newspaper, The Reporter, and now we have The Rag, a useless piece of several pieces of paper that have lots of restaurant reviews, lots of cooking recipes, information on how to buy Indian clothes, and biased one sided partisan presentation of some issues in the Village and G-d forbid they should ever print the other side!
And now, welcome to the new look of David's purported Village blog. Lots of pretty pictures and colorful ads. Hey, I love rock and roll and would probably go, but this info could be found elsewhere. I believe there are far more important topics to be addressed. So why are they not? Because the man and his advisers - or boss - have nothing constructive to say, nothing helpful, nothing that can be believed so instead they work in secret, in an opaque setting so that they can spring their wasteful projects on us and hope they get it thru.
Well, delegates, this has got to stop or else we will find ourselves in a bind that will indeed be extremely difficult to undo. Term limits. A strong coalition against him and his henchmen and his policies - or lack thereof. A strong delegate assembly where questions are raised and answers demanded. He has been told that he may not call 911 for his stupid reasons, for the fact that he doesn't know how to properly chair, for the fact that he cannot abide any opposition and differing viewpoints, so have at him and his wasteful projects. Have at him and Ed Black for their ridiculous contracts such a the security one that we are having to deal with.
Stand up for our rights and let the noise begin. No more silence. We demand our rights be respected. We demand that our needs be addressed.
One way for us to end the silence in the assembly is to select better delegates, one who can think and understand their responsibility to vote as the association wishes, not to vote for poor choices because they are intimidated or because they are promised little fiefdoms. WE must make sure of whom we elect to the boards and whom we appoint as our delegates. Get rid of the deadwood and use the wonderful storage of intelligence and experience we have in this Village.
By the way, sorry for the late entry, but I am in Pittsburgh now, an interesting city, and my little ones here have first priority of course. Important topics come up, such as new sports equipment, books to be bought, clothes that are absolutely necessary, and of course, more super hero figures and accessories. But I will find the time to write, albeit not as early as I usually do. Thanks for your patience.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
THE CONSEQUENCES OF SILENCE
Yesterday I wrote of the sound of silence that echoes from UCO. It is deafening. But there is also a sound of silence from the electorate, the residents, and their supposed representatives, the delegates and until these repositories of silence are replaced, until they know they HAVE to vote the associations' wishes, and not their own private opinions, the silence will continue and so will the harm to our Village.
Yesterday there was an IFI, you know the info that David Israel sends to his approved people. It must kill him to know that I receive these from numerous people, thus thwarting his twisted plots and plans to keep certain people in the dark. Ahh, if only he knew how many sources of information I have. Go eat your heart out, dear boy.
Anyway, I spoke yesterday also of the need to bring the distant consequences closer, to look at more intensely and understand what it is we are doing and/or bringing about by our actions or inaction. Well, the IFI simply bolstered that opinion and need. Let us take a look from the simple to the horrifically complex.
So we have commissioned a study to review how to save money for future needs. Dumb? Beyond words. Unnecessary? Absolutely. Why so? Because when we had a strictly delineated budget with strictly held designated funds for all our needs, we knew EXACTLY what was coming in, going out, and the future needs and how much we needed to build up. We had a careful watch on the funds to see that they could in no way be spent on other needs. Along came jones, you know who, and signed money away, transferred funds without delegate permission and now ascribes to the oh so sophisticated economic theory of mish mash funds. Truly well thought out, right? WRONG.
So now we have no money for our present and future needs and have commissioned a study on this topic. Sure, let's just throw out more money, good after bad. This is the kind of thinking or what passes for thinking, in our governments at all levels and gee, who was it again that boasts of working for the government, saving us all? Hmmmm. Who gave permission for this expenditure? How much is it going to cost? Why the hell are we having it anyway? Ahhh, the sounds of silence.
Then we have the lake, where perhaps we are facing one of our biggest crisis in the Village. First we had erosion of the lakes so WPRF comes up with geotubes for whatever they are supposed to do but from the beginning all we keep hearing is how fragile they are so we must do this and we must not do that and woe unto the association that does not obey.
Now we find that these geotubes are disintegrating. How and why is still not clear. If they were so delicate in the first place then maybe they never should have been used in the first place and another solution should have been sought. But worse than that, because they are so delicate, we bought millions of gallons of water to keep up the level of the lakes, not a bad thing, but, oh truly but, this water is dangerous to the health of all in the Village - to the geotubes, the water, the fish and to us, yes, the humans in the Village. Now we hear that this untreated water has given rise to a toxic growth in one of the canals. Lovely! We have algae overwhelming the areas and one other slightly minor issue.
Due to the fact that we have an overgrowth at the edges of the waterways we now have company living there. Yes, we now have some lovely snake condos along the edges, no fee ones. The water moccasins who have come to visit have come to stay and no, these are not Minnetonka shoes for the water. These are the slimy eely creatures that I hate! And am afraid of and rightfully so for they are deadly. So much so, and so many are here, that Eva has invested in snake catching kits. Watch out for your little pets and your little visiting relatives and for yourselves as well, especially if you walk down to the edges to fish.
Now we are dithering around as to what we should do. With a bit more care and forethought, with a bit more care and research into the consequences of actions, we would not be in this position now, seeking remedies and likely or just as apt to run into another "solution" without looking into the future.
Such are the consequences of silence. Such are the consequences of the sounds of silence as our brains shut off and we allow people to run rampant and carelessly with our future, our funds and ignore our needs. Hey, at least maybe we should look into how to get rid of these critters, like call in a herpetologist, maybe many of them, and let them get rid of these things. I know Eva is concerned about it and frankly so am I and frankly so should we all be.
Silence is nice at the proper time and place. No loud radios at the pools. The awesome silence of nature in its various manifestations. The silence in one's private communings and meditations with G-d.
But not the silence that comes from people taking upon themselves too much authority nor the sound of the silence of the residents as they allow this to happen. Speak up. Roar out. Beat the silence into submission.
Yesterday there was an IFI, you know the info that David Israel sends to his approved people. It must kill him to know that I receive these from numerous people, thus thwarting his twisted plots and plans to keep certain people in the dark. Ahh, if only he knew how many sources of information I have. Go eat your heart out, dear boy.
Anyway, I spoke yesterday also of the need to bring the distant consequences closer, to look at more intensely and understand what it is we are doing and/or bringing about by our actions or inaction. Well, the IFI simply bolstered that opinion and need. Let us take a look from the simple to the horrifically complex.
So we have commissioned a study to review how to save money for future needs. Dumb? Beyond words. Unnecessary? Absolutely. Why so? Because when we had a strictly delineated budget with strictly held designated funds for all our needs, we knew EXACTLY what was coming in, going out, and the future needs and how much we needed to build up. We had a careful watch on the funds to see that they could in no way be spent on other needs. Along came jones, you know who, and signed money away, transferred funds without delegate permission and now ascribes to the oh so sophisticated economic theory of mish mash funds. Truly well thought out, right? WRONG.
So now we have no money for our present and future needs and have commissioned a study on this topic. Sure, let's just throw out more money, good after bad. This is the kind of thinking or what passes for thinking, in our governments at all levels and gee, who was it again that boasts of working for the government, saving us all? Hmmmm. Who gave permission for this expenditure? How much is it going to cost? Why the hell are we having it anyway? Ahhh, the sounds of silence.
Then we have the lake, where perhaps we are facing one of our biggest crisis in the Village. First we had erosion of the lakes so WPRF comes up with geotubes for whatever they are supposed to do but from the beginning all we keep hearing is how fragile they are so we must do this and we must not do that and woe unto the association that does not obey.
Now we find that these geotubes are disintegrating. How and why is still not clear. If they were so delicate in the first place then maybe they never should have been used in the first place and another solution should have been sought. But worse than that, because they are so delicate, we bought millions of gallons of water to keep up the level of the lakes, not a bad thing, but, oh truly but, this water is dangerous to the health of all in the Village - to the geotubes, the water, the fish and to us, yes, the humans in the Village. Now we hear that this untreated water has given rise to a toxic growth in one of the canals. Lovely! We have algae overwhelming the areas and one other slightly minor issue.
Due to the fact that we have an overgrowth at the edges of the waterways we now have company living there. Yes, we now have some lovely snake condos along the edges, no fee ones. The water moccasins who have come to visit have come to stay and no, these are not Minnetonka shoes for the water. These are the slimy eely creatures that I hate! And am afraid of and rightfully so for they are deadly. So much so, and so many are here, that Eva has invested in snake catching kits. Watch out for your little pets and your little visiting relatives and for yourselves as well, especially if you walk down to the edges to fish.
Now we are dithering around as to what we should do. With a bit more care and forethought, with a bit more care and research into the consequences of actions, we would not be in this position now, seeking remedies and likely or just as apt to run into another "solution" without looking into the future.
Such are the consequences of silence. Such are the consequences of the sounds of silence as our brains shut off and we allow people to run rampant and carelessly with our future, our funds and ignore our needs. Hey, at least maybe we should look into how to get rid of these critters, like call in a herpetologist, maybe many of them, and let them get rid of these things. I know Eva is concerned about it and frankly so am I and frankly so should we all be.
Silence is nice at the proper time and place. No loud radios at the pools. The awesome silence of nature in its various manifestations. The silence in one's private communings and meditations with G-d.
But not the silence that comes from people taking upon themselves too much authority nor the sound of the silence of the residents as they allow this to happen. Speak up. Roar out. Beat the silence into submission.
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