A FUNERAL THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN

A funeral that should never have been. A mother faced with the unfaceable, the unbearable. And yet, generation after generation they rise to the challenge . May their children's names be for a blessing and may no one else, not one more have to bury their slain child.
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Crying, Rena Ariel caressed the blue shroud covered body of her daughter Hallel Yaffa, 13, before uttering her final parting words, to the girl who had been a brilliant student and who loved to dance.

“I am giving you one last hug,” Rena said on Thursday evening as she eulogized Hallel in front of the hundreds of mourners who filled the small public grass lawn, just a short walk away from their home in the West Bank Kiryat Arba settlement.
Just the night before, Hallel had performed in Jerusalem with Harikod dance troop. In the morning she slept late. She was alone in the house when a Palestinian teen, Mohammad Tarairah, 17, snuck in her bedroom through an open window and stabbed her to death.
At the funeral, Rena called out to Tarairah’s mother.

“I am standing here with a heart filled with pain and I am turning to you, the Arab mother, the Muslim who sent your son out to stab,” Rena said as she raised her arm and pointed her finger in the air.

“I raised my daughter with love, but you and the Arab Muslim educators, you taught him to hate. Go, put your house in order,” she as she shook with anger.

x

It was one of the few moments in the brief eulogy in which she was not crying as she spoke.

With her eyes to the sky, she called out to God and asked, “How do you eulogize a 13-and-a-half year old girl. Tell me what words to use to eulogize a flower, a pure soul, who is courageous and beautiful. Your only sin was that you were  almost perfect,” Rena said. 

She recalled how she had struggled and finally succeeded in giving birth to Hallel.

“You were a ray of light in my life. You were the one who turned me into a mother.” To God, she said, “you gave me a present and now I am returning it to you.”

She was certain, Rena said, that her daughter would go straight to heaven and would be close to God’s seat of honor.
“Take her. She is the flesh of our flesh. Hug her, because I will never gain be able to touch her. Make room for her, so she can dance,” Rena said.

But she noted that there had been so many terror victims, particularly from Kiryat Arba, that had similarly risen to be close to God, that was getting crowded.

“There isn’t any more room there,” Rena said. 

Hallel’s dance teacher Esther Meiron, recalled watching Hallel the night before as she stood in a white dress about to go on stage.

“Like a white bird, last night, you danced the dance of your life,” Meiron said.
She was always impressed Meiron said, by the strength and light that emanated from Hallel as she danced.

At the time of the stabbing, Meiron said, she had just received a long text message from Rena thanking her and speaking of the significant role that dance and her center had played in Hallel’s life.

“I responded, ‘thank you. Hallel is amazing.’ What seemed like almost one minute later I got a message about the terror attack,” Meiron said. That was followed with the shocking notice that Hallel had been killed.

“I don’t understand, how is that possible?,” Meiron asked.

“Unfortunately, for years we have been dancing in the shadow of terror. And now, once again, it has knocked on our door without warning,” Meiron said.

“We always found comfort in dancing, but this time, after the kind of performance we had the night before, it is impossible to comprehend,” Meiron said.

To Hallel, she promised that they would never stop dancing. 

“We will dance in spite of the pain and one day, we will also dance again from happiness,” Meiron said.

WHERE TO START?

  In picking up a book early this AM I realized that lately most of the books that have come home from the library all deal with a family crisis of epic proportions. A parent missing. A child missing. A long and often fruitless search. And while there are other types of books, just what is going on. And I realized that what is happening is that a mood is pervading the earth, the world turning to the sad, the demented, the epidemic in a bad way.
     So why is that? Well, I am not a shrink for the masses, but take a look around. It appears to be that the woes of the world have truly impacted our private and personal lives and we are almost helpless in its grip.
     Take the announcement by the CIA today that it expects ISIS to hit the USA next or soon. How long have we walked thru the airport thinking aloud how who needs to pass thru security to do harm? Just look at the crowds in the check-in lobby! Just look at the massed people around the carousels. And that is what was done in Turkey. It appears that to be safe or rather less exposed, the world needs to adopt the Israeli method wherein no one gets into the airport unless you pass the checkpoint. Windows must be opened and questions answered, documents shown if there is the slightest suspicion and you know what? I think it is great. And that is why whenever we fly to Israel we go El Al, never mind that they are more expensive or they squoosh people in! I do not want a stopover in Turkey or Greece or somewhere in the Ukraine or wherever or even Paris or London.
     But look at the rest of the world. Explosions, attacks, crazy people chanting and actually even running for office and this morning we wake up to the awful report of a talented 13 year old dancer who just performed in Jerusalem the night before and went to sleep in her own room in her own home, and was stabbed to death by a Palestinian teenager who decided that this was what he needed to do for whatever perverted reason or thinking. So all that remains of Hallel besides the memories of her family is a blood soaked room. See if the NY Times reports that or if Obama will send condolences to the family!
     See if anyone will remark on the fact that 9 Israeli citizens who wished only to break the fast, to have Iftar with some people in Ramallah, had to be rescued by Israeli soldiers and some PA police, pulled out of a flaming car set afire by Molotov cocktails. Such are the ones we are to make peace with? Dream on, sadly enough.
     And closer to home we now have a state of Florida that is just about on emergency status. Martin and St. Lucie county are already there and remember, many of us go there quite often. Palm Beach County discovered blue algae in the canal by Lake Worth, all part of the South Florida Water Management System. Our own canals and lakes here are inundated with green algae and here we stand with bated breath rotating on our thumbs, lacking in a serious search for an answer. The algae is dangerous, especially the blue stuff. This gunk can cause serious respiratory illness, skin infections, noxious odors. People are talking of taking baths with bleach in the water!!! And we have more of this stuff coming down the line from Lake Okeechobee as it reaches flood stage. And we have yet to have a storm or hurricane that will overwhelm our water system.
     And here we sit in the Village doing nothing. So someone says we should find a volunteer who will go out in a boat and rip out and gather the algae. Really? David, are you volunteering, setting an example of public service and sacrifice? This is not a job for amateurs. This gathering of the algae should have been done long ago, but our UCO and WPRF turned a blind eye to it and only of late have they turned to other methods, all not doing so well, are they? So instead of talking of Broadband, instead of talking of moving courts for the umpteenth time, instead of spending money on flora that will be poisoned anyway by the water we spray on it that is infused with algae , instead of all that we need to spend that money on finding the best experts in the world to solve this issue for us and how to avoid it in the future or how to prepare for it. If not, say goodbye to the Village and its lifestyle.
     This contaminated water is the stuff that showers us as we walk thru it when it is spraying. It is the stuff sprayed on our buildings and walkways. And how does our drinking water rate in this mess? Who the hell knows and who knows when we are getting the truth. So if we do not want to tack a note on the gates that tells the last person out of the Village to turn off the lights and lock the gates, then we MUST do something. Put aside all else for if we do not get a handle on this, the entire South Florida, if not the whole state of Florida will be empty. Our tourist destinations, our diving and snorkeling - not in good shape. No money in, no money able to go out to the citizens and who will want to live in a place where one must wear a hazmat suit and mask to stay alive?! Exaggerated a bit - yes and no. No one knows where this ends if we do not act upon it immediately and learn that one must nip things in the bud not ignore it and think it will go away,. This is not peek-a-boo with a baby but real life with real consequences.
     We are not alone in this. Perhaps we might form a union of communities of South Florida that are all facing the same problem. That will give us more funding to use to find help. Just an idea, but better than the rowboat and volunteer. There are companies that will provide this service and we should have used them way before this, but at least let us approach them now. I, and others, have been calling to do something about this algae for the longest time.
     And in the meanwhile, let us look towards the good in life, the family, the friends, the smile on a grandchild's face and the touch of their hands as we walk holding hands. Let us exercise our right to vote, register and connect that arrow! And I think that today I am going to the library to find a feel good book! And perhaps even today we will find someone in the world who has an answer, but in our desperation we must not turn to the dictator, the despot who will only harm. This is a time fraught with danger. We must acknowledge that, keep our families close, be careful and safe and try to our utmost to help improve this world.
     Oysh! Think I need a piece of chocolate!

TECHIE TALK, TECHIE TALK

      Some people just love to talk in jargon, use the techie talk of their field, or supposed area of expertise. However, all this does is demonstrate arrogance and lack of care for the "outsider" for all this techie talk does nothing to explain the issue and just, in fact, obfuscates the whole thing. Many were the educators I met along the way who delighted in using techie talk on the parents and then one had to explain it in words whose meanings and import were clear. Nothing was gained and much was lost in this ridiculous exercise. And the same thing here in the Village.
     The Broadband committee, morphed from the WI Fi committee, does not like to hear the term techie. In fact, it roused one of them to such a level of "fit" that he turned to me, eyes bulging, spit flying, and called me a piece of ---- for using that term. Okay, if you think that the term techie is a foul piece of language, then fine by me, but I do love my live in techie so perhaps the problem is all yours.
     In any case, here is the problem. This committee, composed mainly of Israel lackeys, is pushing this fiber optics contract. Full figures have never been given, just a few here or there. Comparison charts with Comcast's proposal? Nope, none of that either. Full disclosure of anything? Nope again, the usual SOP of doing things in this UCO.
     So just a bit of techie talk. Are we talking about Ipv4 and/or Ipv6. I have both and their speed is comparable to what was mentioned in The Rag, and even better, so sorry, no improvement there. Comcast has proven itself, improved itself, made a good bid or proposal presentation and how has Atlantic proven itself?  And by the way, contrary to David's repeated lie, there is no rogue element of Comcast running around here. Anyway, Atlantic promises to dig a ditch. They promise to bring it here on time. They promise. So what happens to this famous ditch when road construction interferes and in three years we are left with  nothing due to delays. You have heard of delays, have you not? What happens to this famous ditch when new road construction goes oops!!! and the ditch is dug up, tearing the fiber optics and then where are we again. How long do we wait while this construction goes on and we all know about the delays that go on, do we not?
     So what happens to the speed, what happens to our reception and usage when others siphon off this fiber optic great trench along the way? Will the speed slow down? Will it break down? Will  stops along the way get precedence before us as they are first geographically, never mind our contract and the promises it makes? Has anyone thought of this? And by the way, how are the units to be approached. More ditches?
     It is close to three years before the Comcast contract is over. Then David Israel wants to sign a ten year contract with Atlantic. So in thirteen years, we will be using the technology of today! Wow!!! I am so under impressed. Has anyone spoken of a clause that demands constant upkeep, maintenance and modernization? Has anyone thought about what such a long term contract means in such a quick changing and developing world. In the labs of these companies there are already new ideas being laid out. There are kids around the country who have new ideas and here we are proposing a thirteen year halt for us. Wow, that will so impress all the new buyers who seem so demanding of this technology, or so we are told by David Israel and company. Meanwhile I have spoken to real estate people and they say there are far more questions of other concerns than that.
     And by the way, from whence does UCO derive its authority to make this decision for us. Internet is NOT included anywhere that I can see. It is not a utility, but rather a choice of an information stream made on the part of an individual, co owners and associations according to the wishes of the members. I have been told that I live in a horse and buggy age because I do not want Internet. Uh huh! So what am I using? So then when puddin'head understands that, I am told that I am greedy and selfish because I do have Internet access and a good one at that, top of the line with Comcast in a very good package - and others do not! Well, that is their choice is it not and it is not my right to tell them what to do, so my association is mixed with people who have it, a level of it or who do not even possess a computer and have no interest in it at all. And that is fair and that is right. And by the way, our Hulu and Roku and streaming are doing just fine too.      
     And by the way, since when is it good financial procedure for the little guy to worry about the big guy and his expenses. Seems a bit backwards to me. If Atlantic is doing so poorly then let their parent company chip in or let them sell bonds or go to a bank for a loan - not ask the residents of CV to pay for it!
     Leave well enough alone and give up trying to force people into doing what they do not want to do. Go fix problems that are there and far more immediate. What, you ask? Okay, so we already have the green gunk variety of algae and we have been shouting about this to the Heavens until finally , with glacial slowness, WPRF and UCO began to do something. Too little too late and now we have the cousin coming along with worse health issues and gee, blue/green algae could be so pretty so maybe we should just ignore it as we do everything else outside of David Israel's limited interests?
     We have the millennium Agreement which is fast approaching the end and what have we done? NOTHING. And what are we planning to do? NOTHING. And do not tell me that we are looking for an attorney. Give me a month and I will find a good one, a good firm and again, do not tell me that an attorney is coming to Advisory and she will wave a magic wand and solve it all. First of all, I do not know if she is an attorney or worked adjacent to or for an attorney and even if she is, what kind is she? Is she knowledgeable in condo law, in the type of law we need in order to get a better deal this time around or are we going to engage in more Kurt Weiss threats and manner of doing business and screw us again?
     What are we planning to do to fix the massive deficit in our reserve funds? What are we doing to plan for the fixing of the roads, a need fast approaching necessity again! What are we doing to plan for our deteriorating infrastructure, irrigation system, broken associations, motel buildings, crooked real estate people and landlords! yes, landlords of the Village who are here for profit only and could care less about it as a home, our home and one would be surprised at who some of these landlords are.
     We need a Town Hall meeting chaired by one OTHER than David Israel or member of his Cabinet and Officers. We need a neutral party, one who will allow all to speak and a time limit of five minutes to speak rather than three and a fair application of the time limit to ALL, not just one side. We need an open exchange of ideas and questions. We need honest answers. We need proposals to help and not pie in the sky wishes and desires. We need a prioritization of our needs and goals and we need it badly and quickly and meanwhile what we get is nothing of the sort.
     Hey, I have an idea. You know that David Israel seemed to have an allergy to signs in the Village during election campaign and then suddenly turned a blind eye when it came to the banner hanging off Dover for months on end. Perhaps because he is friendly with the President there? Or the painting firm? Who knows, blindness can be picky I guess, but there is such a plethora of signs outside the Village now, so much "eye pollution" as dear David calls it, that since he needs to get out at least every once in a while, let him take on the public service duty of cleaning up and removing these signs so he can get a bit of fresh air a the same time. It's a thought!!
    In any case, we want answers to our questions. We want shut of this ridiculous Broadband demand. We want a UCO that is both responsive and proactive and by the way, UCO, where is your duty to the Village to find out what is going on with the golf course and take the temperature of the residents and act accordingly. Is it because you are afraid of angering some politicians? Is it because you could care less about the Village except as how it plays into your needs and desires? Tell us, oh David, do tell us and solve the mystery of your behavior. We are waiting with bated breath. And so tired of waiting.

CANNOT BELIEVE IT!!! FINALLY!

     Just a note, that while the beginning is re abortion and the recent decision, read on for closer to home news and analysis.
     I could not believe my ears and then my eyes. Finally, after all this time we had a step in the right direction. Finally, after all this time perhaps sanity was returning to the world. Finally, after all this time there was a return to the recognition that women had a right to make the decisions over their own bodies and a place to go to when making that decision. Don't get me wrong; there is still a long, long way to go to return to the full and true terms of Roe v, Wade, but perhaps we are seeing the light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel.
     The state of Texas, benighted as it often is, basically wanted to close down all clinics or just about all and make it nigh unto impossible for a woman to get an abortion for any reason. I still cannot believe the gall of men who believe that they can determine that it is okay, the right way, for a woman to carry to term a baby of incest or rape, to carry to term a baby with major defects that preclude life after birth or a semblance of life but rather a pain filled short existence. These same people then refuse to provide for the result of these denied abortions and there we go, setting up hunger, desperation, crime, despair and everything else that they turn their noses up to for they have already done their duty and denied the abortion.
     Abortion is not an easy decision. Ask any woman who had to have one. The pain of it lingers forever, merely even having to contemplate having one is a moment of despair, but there it is. At times it is a must. The thinking of those who would deny that right need to watch an installment of Call the Midwife and see the desperate straits of a woman caught in an unexpected pregnancy and on whose shoulders the burden falls, the impossibility of dealing with it and the hypocrisy of society. Perhaps, we can hope for a better future and forward thinking rather than a return to the back alley abortions and the filth and the deaths and the despair and the increasingly heavy burden on the woman while the man walks away.
     In fact, let us hope that hypocrisy in every sphere of life lessens. The other night I heard a talk about the corruption in Palm Beach County and the stories told will make your hand stand on end. The bending over backwards to the developers who whine and plead poverty even as they live the life of billionaires, with estates and planes and luxury galore. Their fees are excused, some reduced to a $1 - yes, you read that right. So who pays to make up those missing funds when the bills come due for the new roads, schools, libraries, parks, etc.? - WE DO!!!! Higher taxes on us. Feeling sorry for the developers is hypocrisy to the nth degree. These are not small mom and pop business but rather huge companies and they are doing just fine, thank you very much!!
     And into that same category comes the latest Lanny Howe plaint for the Broadband companies, in particular the Atlantic one, the one with whom David Israel is pushing for a contract with us. Now we are to feel sorry for them for the cost of their trench from Miami to WPB? That is the cost of doing a business, of establishing oneself and if we cannot get a shorter term contract than 10 years in order to protect ourselves, then quite frankly I am not interested in feeling sorry for them and taking a ten year contract which will put us on the back end of a bad deal and then what will all those of the Israel camp say when the new buyers supposedly whine that our system is just so backwards!! Can't blame it on us then, can you? But oh golly gee, what will happen to the resale values? Do not like hearing your own words thrown back at you? Too bad.
     Do not feel sorry for businesses. They take care of themselves, particularly big business. There is plenty of money in their parent company and if they could not afford this "trench" they would not undertake and it is not being done solely in a sacrificial manner just for us. There are many cities and developments between Miami and WPBCV and they will make their money's worth without us having to take their bills upon our shoulders. What we have here again is another pathetic shill posting again for David Israel. Never take his words on their surface meaning for their true meaning and the truth of his proposals are there if one just thinks a bit about it. The holes then open up, the sinkhole develops and if we were to go through with it we would find ourselves right in there, even as we find delays, problems, excess costs and no funds for infrastructure and how about planning for the new influx of blue green algae in Florida. Perhaps we should invest funds in checking that out and how to defend it from gaining a foothold here in the Village. Our yucky green algae is bad enough!!!
     That is the problem with hypocrisy. One sees only out of twisted eyes and warped thinking. One thinks selfishly. And one forgets to think and think hard, to take ten steps ahead and see where it all goes and then think again. But this administration of UCO does not do that. And we are left holding the bag. Not again, folks, not again.
     The only "positive" thing I can find here is that at least there is consistency. David Israel, Ed Black and Bob Marshall were so concerned about the financial issues, the costs to the M&M Paving CO. under the terms of their contract with us, that they ever so kindly allowed them to use improper machinery, inferior materials and workers who did not do so well, did they, but at least the CEO and the CFO slept soundly in their beds, ever so thankful that they had found so many simpatico people who understood that big business needed sympathetic ears and hearts and pockets. So what we got so generously in exchange was                    such an inferior job that it began to devolve almost as soon as it was laid down and even the paint sank so quickly into the ground that by the next day it had already begun to fade and disappear but the friends of big business had so happily done their jobs. Thank you, David Israel. Thank you, Ed Black and thank you, Bob Marshall. Surely you will ever be the stalwarts of the rights of big business over the little guys,  true American heroes.

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'

     Nothing is as it was. It appears as if the entire world is rearranging itself and all the reordering of the world as begun after WWI and continued post WWII is as dust to the wind. Great alliances such as Great Britain can actually reappear when the dust clears as simply good old England. What would that mean to the world? What would that mean for the balance of power? How would these new independent countries align themselves in the questions and problems that beset the world?
     It is a scary time. Yet it is also a time rife with vibrant winds of change. These winds can be good or bad. The artificial borders that were made and drawn without full understanding or care, that divided tribes and nationalities, all have come to cause problems that are not so easily resolved. Will there be a nation for the Kurds? Will Syria or Libya ever be reconstituted as a country or will it remain as little "stans" with warlords and religious fanatics ruling and perhaps with a small secular area? Will Saudi Arabia stand as a country and will the invented country of Jordan remain as such or will it too separate and fall to pieces? And what will happen to all the countries of the former Soviet Union? Putin appears to be gathering his rosebuds while he may as he picks up the pieces in a piecemeal manner.
     And far more important, even as movies and books sing the praises of a united world, of its importance and glory, the world itself appears to shatter itself into ever smaller pieces. Can a jigsaw such as this be repaired? Do people even want it to be repaired? And what about the society of the world which is rather rapidly and viciously drawing lines between people, never mind states. Is there really a Belgium or will it separate into two or even three countries? Is there a truly united United States or have the battle lines we have drawn up superseded our proud, sometimes not so proud, history? Where will our principles lead us or will greed shatter all? It seems as if all we have achieved as a society is being ignored and the big mouths who scream louder than all are driving wedges into everything. Or is it not so and just a case of the squeaky wheels again? I do not know, none of us do, but it behooves all of us to get into the fray, for if we, as individuals, do not speak up, there goes the party and there goes all that we hold dear.
     As a Jew it is quite frightening to see the rampant resurgence of a violent and unthinking anti Semitism. It is all over, from the state and country level, particularly amongst the nations of the Moslem world, but also scarily enough, amongst the nations that were overrun by the Nazis and saw with their own eyes and heard with their own ears the horror and the screams and the odors of death. And yes, it is heartening when Clinton, a candidate for President of the United States, speaks up about the scourge of anti Semitism and remarks as well about the necessity of remaining strong partners with Israel, but the question remains, why, in 2016 must these issues still need to be addressed?
     And lest one think that there are idyllic spots where these sentiments are not, then think again. Why, again, in 2016, are there people here in the Village who think that calling me names meant to denigrate my ethnic and religious background is the way to go. These nasty and hateful statements, these names, go along with misogyny, and many are the vicious comments sent to me concerning womanhood and the vilest curse words that can be used against a woman. And yes, the leader of this faction who appears to support these statements, who does not rein in his supporters is just as guilty, perhaps even more, and in that he is Jewish is just as shameful as the fact that Bernie Sanders is Jewish and yet he surrounds himself with hateful and anti Semitic people such as Cornel West and others. Self hate and self blindness do not really work out and history is rife with the portraits , the vignettes  of these people getting their righteous desserts. Goose and gander you know.
     And along with all this comes the lies, the ever and eternal lies and the ignoring of history for these lies never remain unchallenged, never prove to be eternal, for there are good people who will take up the challenge and go for the truth. I can try for the big world, I can try to work for candidates I think will be an improvement over what we have, I can write on my blog, and I can keep up the struggle here, right here in the Village. It is not over and we will continue to fly the flag of truth, of transparency, no matter who is an elected official or not. And poor puddin'head, pointing out the defects of an administration is not a whine or a complaint. Rather it is the right of all of us to seek a better life, a better place to live and this constant refrain of "move" is as dumb as it gets. Should we have told FDR to move as he refused to allow Congress to roll over his recovery plans? Should we have  told Washington and Hamilton and the Adams, etc. to move out of colonial America because they had concerns? That very statement of "move" is the violation of every principle of our Constitution here in the USA and yes, Century Village, like it or not, is within the boundaries of the USA and we will exercise our rights as American citizens and as concerned residents of the Village. If you do not like that then here is some advice - MOVE!! Not liking that advice? Me neither, so please, think before you send that to me again.
     So on I, and others, and ever increasing numbers, will continue to press for truth and answers re the roads, re our funding, our lack of transparency, the state of our waterways, the state of our infrastructure, the projects of pipe dreams taking place and precedence over what is necessary, what is a must. We will fight for inclusive administration, for term limits, for one owner one vote, for avoidance of wasteful projects such as the Broadband and quite frankly, my plan and that of many others was to buy here, live here, a good life, and when the Good Lord decided it was time, to die here and resale values really do not interest me. When I could have received close to $200,000 for my apartment I did not sell and nor did I sell when the floor fell out from under us. I plan to live here and if there are people who think of this solely as an investment, a second home they can easily shed, well, they and their thoughts are not my concern. We are not a resort. WE are not an investment for ourselves or our children. WE are a home and need to think of it as such and behave as such and take care of business as it should be.
     Let them eat cake belonged to the time of the French Revolution ( and really was not what it is made out to be) but be that as it may, we do not want cake here; we want a solid loaf of rye, steady, immersed in the necessary and the needed and in a balanced budget with no false statements of what a hole we are in. We have much to do so let us get started. First - the truth from those who would deny it. Telling the truth actually makes one feel good. Try it. You might actually get used to it and like it and if you cannot deal with the truth - then get out of UCO. We must all roll up our sleeves and do what we must to save our home. The times they are a changing, yes, but let us make the change be for the good.

THE THEMES OF HISTORY

     Most of us had classrooms plastered with the sayings warning us that to forget history is to relive it, mostly not a good reliving either. So true. Need we learn from history if we are to avoid repetitive errors - oh yes! Needs we must to learn from went before us, the themes of history.
     Over and over again the world refuses to see what is in front of their eyes. How many times have there been empires that amassed many countries under its umbrella and how many times did that empire reach the saturation point, go over and disintegrate. The Greeks, the Romans, Austro- Hungarian Empire, The English Empire, the Soviet Union, the Nazi empire, and the EU. Every single time one country, often, though not always, under a dictator, tried to bite off more than it could chew than BOOM! nationalism arose, the populace rebelled, tired of the oligarchy that had formed. There always seemed to be a 1% that developed along with the concurrent resentment of the rest of the populace towards them. It is no mystery, no hidden theme of history but right there in the open Even in Great Britain, it was not always Great Britain but rather England which proceeded thru conquest and kingships to unite the countries of this island. Sometimes it was peaceful; most times not and the modern day Great Britain now faces a great deal of uncertainty in the face of Brexit. Not much of a surprise to any historian or thinking person. It happens again and again.
     So why, one might ask, why does the USA not split into its various parts, either statewide or region wide. The answer is - it has tried to do so since its inception. Not all states or colonies were so eager to join in. Shay's Rebellion. The Free State of Jones - and yes, it is a true story - The Civil War, the whole state vs federal and now the water issues, land issues and trade and economy and one has more of statewide looks than national ones. And do not forget those militias that hide out there in the western states running their own de facto mini nations which we basically ignore until they pop up on the radar for one reason or another. Think of the Balkanization of the USA that is happening right now.
     When will rulers ever learn. The squelching of people, the threat to shut down their voices - it all does not work. People are often tired of the same old and demand more. Remember the 60's and 70's? That was one expression of the same theme. That does not mean that a popular uprising is always correct and in many cases, most cases, it simply leads to a reshuffling of society, the bottom rising to the top and the whole cycle plays out again. Disheartening, is it not?
     And yet, people keep trying. People keep shocking the world with some unforeseen outcomes of their deeds.  Henry VIII wanted a male heir and often would think with the wrong head and the religious revolution of Luther spread throughout the world, upending the Church from its position as basically the arbiter of the world.
Katherine of Aragon with her simple statement that she would obey her husband in all things other than "that which touches my conscience" set the stage for rebels of conscience for the rest of eternity.
     In fact, a great principle learned from this whole sequence of events is that nothing can be truly hidden for in doing so, the very act of trying to do so, actually caused the "King's Private Matter" to turn into "The Great Matter" and the world was never the same. I have said it before and will say it again - the truth will always out, no matter the effort to keep it hidden, no matter the words used to try to obfuscate the truth.
     And now let us go from the world to the village, our Village. Once again we have the use of the supposed Village paper being used as a propaganda rag. Two articles pushing "Broadband" are rife with lies and half truths. Even more serious is the attempt to brush over the fact, the threat, that "they" will have to cancel what associations have already done or cancel associations out of the picture if they do not get all their owners to agree and go along with this. Really?! So suddenly this UCO whose constant plaint is "oh, we cannot tell an association what to do" suddenly they change their tune?! Suddenly they are the boss? Read through the articles and see the mights and the mays of what they are saying. Read the articles and wonder why we are planning to enmesh ourselves into a multi million dollar contract - AGAIN!! (How'd that work out for us on the roads?) - when all is a fairy tale - a huge ditch from Miami to here. Truly? Are we supposed to trust on that. Does anyone understand the permits, the inspections, the road building that interferes, the weather situations, companies biting off more than they can chew, shortage of materials, unexpected delays and in three years we will not have anything! They talk of a generous payment to the Village? Right now it is around $250 to each association - truly piddling an amount. Especially for something we do not need. Fiber optics is not this startling new thing - we already have that or companies are planning to put it in in the Village. Companies know they must keep up to what is happening or they lose out.And yes, while we commit ourselves to this uncertainty, more things will change and Lanny, this whole air business, trust me, there will be more and greater steps so short term or staying as we have it with most people satisfied is the way to go. No one stays still and no one is G-d's gift to the Village. We can move ahead very carefully, with the Villagers' informed consent.
     I, for one, have a great deal on my phone, TV, cable and Internet and am very pleased with it. Comcast has greatly improved and if they need to find or educate more technicians then they will do so, of free will or necessity. Does anyone think where this Atlantic will get them from? Are they growing a farm crop of technicians? They will have the same thing happen to them. In fact, it is happening to every tech or repair company. Just call an air conditioner repairman. And for pudding head who keeps repeating the same nonsense how I should get with the program and get internet - Doofus! what do you think enables me to write a blog? How do I communicate with people round the world and here in the States? Seriously, girl, you need help and soon.
     So we in the populace here in the Village need to take a lesson from history and stand up with our consciences tingling and root out the truth from this UCO and WPRF. Where has our money gone? Why do we persist in signing harmful contracts that empty our pockets? Why does it take a whole lot of hootin' and hollerin' in order to get anything going? Why did it take a whole bunch of shouting to get some work started on the waterways? Too little too late and please, this whole idea of being happy that there are alligators in our lakes - do you truly think we are all idiots and robots trained to react at your whistle?
     And a funny thing happened yesterday while reading a book called Code Warriors: NSA's Codebreakers and the Secret Intelligence War Against the Soviet Union". Ooohhh, does anyone find this reminding them of something, for there is a person here who boasts of his work for the NSA, of his being in charge of gathering and analyzing intelligence about the Soviet Union and yet, and yet, there is not one mention of this man in the entire book! I checked and read it through. There are other names connected to Soviet Union intelligence but somehow, this man was omitted. Could it be that he kinda' upgraded his job? The same man that the government made a special call to come back ten years after he retired so he could save us from the terrorists after 9/11? Not even his supposed area and he was a decade out of date so think about it.
     Private Matter/Great Matter.
In the world, in the nation, in the state and in the Village, the truth will out. Rulers change. Rulers die and the world resets itself, sometimes peacefully and sometimes not.  Are we not yet tired of this dictator, one who promises much and delivers little. One who supposedly talks of the future, but allows our Village to sink into the muck and mire of disrepair. And just let me clue you in that though he says he knows it all in the world of tech - he does not! I have first hand knowledge of some of his lacks and gaps so a little cooling off of the boasting might be in order. Just sayin' and in the meanwhile, come out, come out, wherever you are. Mingle with the people. That is what makes life worth living.
     Just had a funny thought and asked Siri who I should vote for , Clinton or Trump, and her answer: the one with the better hair usually wins. Now what the hell does that mean and what does it mean for the next election here in CV. Just a thought to ponder.

STRANGER DANGER

     I think that one of the first and repeating dictates we receive from our parents concerned "stranger danger" and we repeated that dictum to our children and grandchildren. My own grandchildren are subjected to a new scenario or two each time we see each other - even the oldest ones of 22 and almost 19. For those we love there is no repetition to be skipped and they have to know, particularly in this world of ours.
     But actually, much of the danger to kids and to people in the world comes not from strangers but from those we deem to be friends or those who are 'known" strangers, often seen around but not really known. So look at our world today and see from whence comes our danger. Who are really our friends, personally and nationally and internationally. Trump is an American, but is he really within his beliefs and rants? Is he truly part of the covenant of America?
     Brexit. It is done. The vote is in and it has stunned the world. I have spent time this morning trying to figure out how much money will I and others be out when the market opens. The world seemed to be optimistic yesterday on the vote but this morning the markets all over the world have plunged in panic. Why? We all should have known it was coming, but the fact is that we engaged in wishful thinking and doomsday thinking and avoided a balanced view and plan. The danger to ourselves to the world came from within our own ranks.
     Pretty downhearted I noodled around on Facebook and came across the acceptance speech made by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks upon receiving the Bradley Prize, a prestigious award and recognition of contributions to mankind. He spoke of the need to keep our story, keep the covenant and remain a covenant nation and no, while there were obvious ties to his people, the Jewish people, these comments were about the birth of America and its lifetime story, its covenant it had made with its people and with the world. He spoke of the necessity of being ever alert to the loss of freedom , particularly in the fraught with danger times we live in and he reminded all that hatred of the Jews never ends with them but continues on to envelop all others.
     He spoke of the absolute necessity to yes, create "safe" places, but that those safe places be made for those who wish to speak up, those who may not agree with the current theme of the day. That is what freedom is and what it demands. Today, on campuses all over the country, evidenced by rude and boorish and yes, dangerous behavior, we see the negation of freedom and the acceptance by many that to shut people down is the way to go. We need to remember that what is not exposed to the air begins to fester and infect. We need our organizations, our large and small NGOs, to step up to the plate for these are the pathways to retaining and indeed even strengthening freedom.
     This pertains to any and all political entities and bodies, all levels of the body politic. Including right here in the Village. There are opinions that diverge greatly from each other and that is fine - as long as the opposition is allowed freedom to express, to talk, to explore its rights and speak up for what they feel is correct. Unfortunately we still do not have this here in the Village. Once we did. Once we had a functioning Channel. Once we had a functioning newspaper which maintained its journalistic integrity. Once, that is. Once we had freedom of assembly and speech in all areas of the Village. Once we had freedom of access to all these facilities. And once we had a functioning administration. Once, long ago.
     Today we have a dictatorship and yes, people, there is no other term for this UCO and the truth must be stated. How else to call an administration which cancels Executive Board meetings for two months. How else to call an administration which consists of a roster of the same few names with a few "beards" thrown in. How else to call an administration which will hear no voice other than its own, generally represented by the hermit, David Israel and his buddy, Ed Black. Or possibly by the biased and ill written pieces of The Rag.
    What we get is a pushing of agendas that these people want, that these dictators push, yes, almost like a drug that will turn people's minds off and away from the truth. So we get an obsessed campaign for Broadband which ALREADY EX-
ISTS here in the Village, but no, we should spend millions more on this duplication because that is what David and lackeys want. So are there other places upon which we can lavish these funds that we do not have rather than spend on this obsessional diversion? Let us see.
     1. Attorneys and planning for post Millennium.
     2. Attorneys and planning for post Millennium.
     3. Attorneys and planning for post Millennium.
     4. Waterway cleanup and planning for the future, particularly with the plan for removing harmful and toxic material from it.
     5. Repair breaking and fragile infrastructure.
     6. Repair ancient and broken infrastructure.
     7. Work out a doable and realistic plan for handling the pipe dreams of WPRF.
     8. Work out a plan to buy the facilities of WPRF so that when we fix them they are ours, not more of our money in the pockets of the Levys.
     9. Pay attention to the crisis of the golf course and possible development. Whichever side you support, the Village is primary.
     10. Repair our reserves and figure out exactly how to build it up without breaking the backs of our residents. Avoiding the issue does not make it go away, only get worse.
     11. The roads and walkways are hanging there like a black fog over all of the Village. Crappy and corrupted job done the last time and we need to do it right - and pretty soon.
     12. Irrigation defects and disasters.
     13. Careless and random expenditures that are receiving no oversight.
     14. Repair of our system of administration and bring it back to a true democratic entity as was meant to be.
     15. Term limits need to be reinstated. Presidents for life are for banana republics, not here in the USA.
     16. Attempts to censor the library, public information, etc. must STOP.
     17 - 20. Add in your favorite topics of things gone wrong and neglected in our Village, such as motel buildings, poor planning and advice for associations in trouble and the list marches on.
     Freedom must be fought for, watched over, and paid for in hard work and with the inclusion of all. That is certainly not the case here, today, in the Village, nor for the past almost eight years when we lost our way and allowed not stranger danger, but the enemy within to take us over and harm us.
     Perhaps we need a Brexit of our own. Think about it. The power UCO has is the power we give it, especially when apathy reigns. Wake up, folks. It is your home.

    

HERE WE GO AGAIN

     David Israel has decided to go full speed ahead with his wasteful and unnecessary campaign for spending more money we do not have on an official Village wide Wi Fi or Broadband. He published some silly piece, creative, but really not appropriate, from Bob Rivera purporting to be a parody of those "refusing" to recognize new ideas and who live in a cave and of course, Lanny Howe responded with his own addition. Ridiculous is an understatement, for it ignores the truth of the matter and the issue and I expect better from Bob. Oh well, we are all allowed to make mistakes and errors in judgement.
     By the way, if one wants to understand what it means to live in a cave and have a distorted vision and understanding of "reality" then please read The Republic by Plato, a bit more sophisticated and thought inducing.
     Anyway, the piece might be good for a city BUT we are not a city. It was supposedly good for employment - well, we do not have employment as such in the Village. There are no companies, no industry, no dot.coms or startups and certainly we do not wish to employ more paid personnel for
UCO or even for The Rag. One is enough at that place! So much for that claim.
     Purportedly this city wide effort changed people's images of themselves. I am truly sorry for these people if this is what they base their value on and what they needed to boost their self esteem. I would hope and pray that at least most of the people in the Village know their own worth and do not need a Village wide example of profligate spending to understand that they are worthy people. If they do need this as apparently some people in UCO do, well, tsk, tsk and perhaps some group therapy with the purpose of understanding one's self and the value of a person as such might be a good thing for you.
     David Israel is trying to make as if the fiber optic Village wide approach needs to be treated as a utility and thus as such come under similar treatment BUT it is NOT a utility and does not come into that category here in the Village and we already have Wi Fi here, we have faster connections if one wishes and this 10 gigabits is truly only necessary IF there is a Village wide singular connection. What we have now, individual decisions on what is wanted and association decisions on what is wanted, works just fine and there is no need for more, especially when there are many people in the Village who have no need or desire or understanding of the Internet, do not possess a computer or even a smartphone, do not wish to get either or even think of perhaps opening that 10 year old computer they have not touched for all these years. They are surviving just fine and so are the rest of us - particularly as one can march around the Village with an open tablet or whatever and keep on line. Of course they might trip over the cracks and bumps on the walkway or slide and fall on the heaps of sand and pebbles from the eroding roadways or get run over by a speeding car which does not stop for pedestrians in walkways but who cares, right? Only Broadband and an expensive proposition counts.
     You do know, readers, that there is more to life than sitting all day by a computer and trying to peer into the lives of others. There is a wonderful life right here in the Village and without. I, myself, have gotten involved in more things than ever and have been experiencing new adventures and activities, branching out for what is there to lose other than time. On the other hand there is much to gain from meeting new people, mixing with different peoples and getting out into the world. Poor David just sits there staring into the screen. Poor thing. So sad.
     I can go on and refute more of the posting, its inapplicability for our Village, the gross miscomparision of a small village such as ours to a complete city with different needs. If we are so concerned with getting into the cutting edge of the modern world then here are a few areas that might work. Water treatment. Algae removal. Pavement and roadways. New Millennium agreement - forgot about that one, David. We have not. New bylaws that make senses and are fair. Improving UCO and election procedures, governing procedures. Inclusive administration procedures. Limited exposure of people, forcing a wider variety of people and thinking. Thoughts on how to fix our massive hole in reserves. How to plan for a future that is upon us with heavy demands on our finances and for which we are miserably unprepared. Irrigation systems.  Waldman and the Village. Proper budgeting and truthful budgets. Let us get back to the nitty gritty of the Village, that which is needed if we are to survive. And by the way, what is the true and real cost of this whole shebang? And why are we talking to a Canadian company when we have American companies already here, not buying into promises of what is supposed to be available in three years or so. Many slips "twixt a statement and its fulfillment. Better a bird in the hand, ya know!
     One talks of property values? Well, they are rising as are prices all over Florida so we seem to be doing ok here. Improved communication? Well, get out there and talk to people! Mix a little. It is good for you! Otherwise we all seem to be communicating just fine, thank you very much. I can email my friends or call them or gasp! even go to their homes and talk face to face! We can decide to go out together and talk wherever we go. Interesting that, is it not? Try it , David. Good for the soul.
     Want to get "on track"? There are other ways, far more necessary, than spending more not there funds on not needed things. Try fixing the Clubhouse. Try fixing all the infrastructure. Try working with people. Try sitting up there properly, with decorum and posture that is respectful of others and behave as a "chair" should. Try to set a good and positive example, be a real and true role model. Surely these tasks can keep you busy and away from that machine for a few hours. Remember that you are human and humans mingle for life, for progress, for decency and truth.
     On the other hand, this statement from the House yesterday makes one think even deeper.
    “What is the tipping point? Are we blind? Can we see? How many more mothers, how many more fathers need to shed tears of grief before we do something?" exclaimed Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., who kicked off the sit-in. "We have been too quiet for too long. There comes a time when you have to say something, when you have to make a little noise, when you have to move your feet. This is the time. Now is the time to get in the way. The time to act is now. We will be silent no more."
     Perhaps we need to have a sit in on the floor of the assembly. Perhaps we need to make some people pay attention. Perhaps we need to make some noise, more than we have, louder than we have. If the House, its members, can finally stand up to the NRA and those who cannot see past their trigger finger, than we can also stand up for our rights here. Good idea. Must think about that and you must think about what I have written. Have a good day.
     Grace, what is the matter with you? I will explain in simple words. If I did not have a computer, did not have internet, did not have fast speed. did not have many devices and often going at the same time - then tell me how that works fool! You go back in your closet until you grow a brain. Being careful with money, especially with other people's money, is not being backwards but rather thinking forward and carefully, not wastefully as this Village and UCO and its head have done for the past almost eight years and that is why we are in such a mess. Internet is here but your head obviously ain't.

WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH KIDS TODAY?

     Remember the song? Remember the semi famous quote from an Egyptian pyramid complaining about the adolescents of that time? Read remarkably like an article in a modern paper! Remember your parents saying that? And what can we say about the kids today?
     Most of us will point out some sloppy dress habits, forgetting that it is only the few rather than the majority, but the few make noise so they are heard and seen. We complain about drug use - all the while forgetting about our generation and the rampant drug use of that time. How many entertainers of a certain age do we hear boasting, yes, boasting, of how little they remember of the 60's and 70's and do we not all laugh along with them in a knowing manner?
     We complain about their lack of seriousness, of their at times wild behavior, of careless driving, of rowdy behavior in subways and on buses, at parades and wherever they congregate. We complain at their hangouts but who does not remember hanging out at a candy store (remember those?) or at small music/record store which would play the music on a loudspeaker. Remember those and remember - beyond the TV and radio and the home  record player there was no other way to hear that music and who had money for buying records and for shows?! Not me. Not my friends. So we all had hangouts.
     And wow, what we did on the campuses of the time when we went to college. Riots and sit ins, lie ins, teach ins and what not. We demanded the right to actually walk on the grass at school and whoa! even plop down and sit there on a beautiful sunny day. And wait a minute - remember that little conflict called the War in Vietnam, that war that was telecast right into our homes, where people sat watching it while they ate dinner? Yup, that one, the one where guys were being drafted and how well I remember how Gerry and I held our breath for the time when he was 1A.
     And going back one can see the same in prior generations. My parents generation fought the war, bravely, sacrificing much, even unto death, but before the war? OMG, they did the wild dances to crazy music - and then complained when their kids did the same with rock and roll and we complain with the music genres of today.
     So what has changed? Has it gotten worse? Better? Will it ever change? All I know is what I have seen with the kids of today.
     Are they a tad spoiled? Yes, but so were our kids; it is just that there are so many more complicated and expensive items to spoil them with and believe it or not, without them these kids will be left behind in a vast and changing world.
      Do they play differently, recreate differently? Yes, but I remember my parents giving me the standard lecture how we were spoiled with so many options and why do we not play more outside as they did. Huh! I was outside morning till night, weather permitting and sometimes even if not! So it seems that each generation appears to be both the same and different from the generations on either side, does it not?
     So why this posting? I know that there are kids who do wrong, who act irresponsibly, are hurtful and harmful to themselves and others but so were many of us at times. But our misdeeds were obliterated by time not enshrined forever in the new media, the Internet. These poor kids are chased and haunted by their stupid years and I feel for them. They are pressured as well, taking a zillion courses, volunteering, several activities - all to impress the colleges so they can gain entrance and then be indebted to private sources and the government for the rest of their lives! It ain't easy being a kid today.
     Nor are we doing a great job of being role models for them. We have let the world deteriorate, using its resources as if they would never run out, polluted its waterways and even the seas. We are watching our lands shrink, fall back into the oceans, are still chasing nuclear weapons all around and cannot get our heads wrapped around a solution to the violence of the day, to the proliferation of guns, assault weapons finding their way into places they should not be. We have left them a world where people blow themselves up for the joy and privilege of taking others with them. We have created a world where bulletproof backpacks are now a quality to be evaluated when purchasing one for school.
     What is the matter with kids today? Well, whatever is the matter with us is the answer. Somehow I got myself involved in this year's campaigns and began, as of yesterday, to work as  a volunteer for voter registration. I am happy to report that most people seem to be already registered and vehement about voting this year. Great! But the point is that when we went to meet them yesterday and get the papers and orientation, Gerry and I walked right past them. We were looking for an older person, even perhaps one in the thirties but this group we dismissed as just kids, all involved with their laptops. Well, guess what! Gerry and I are the honorary grandparents of this group of young, delicious kids, earnest, determined to make a difference, willing to work hard for what they believe in, trying to make the world a better place.
     And I realized that there are many more good kids out there. I see that same idealism, that zeal, that why not attitude in my older grandchildren and in these kids. I should really call them young adults and in many ways they behaved better than many in our generation. Believe me on that!!
     So what is the matter with kids today? Not much in a permanent manner. As did we and our parents before us and going back down the generations, kids will always be different from their parents, will look at the world with a mixed view from their own eyes and the visions they have learned from their parents. It is natural. It is normal. And, if they are a bit more cynical at times - well, why not? Look what we have handed them!
     So we teach them how to handle an intrusion into their school, how to hide and behave if caught in the open. They weigh those bulletproof backpacks. They weigh the role models of the adults, the nastiness of the campaigns this year, the Balkanization of America and they ponder.
     What is done can never be undone. We can only hope that these good kids will meet with success, not turn cynical and disillusioned as they penetrate more of the world and as it penetrates their lives. We can even hope and pray that our generation turns itself around, at least a tad, and sets a better example for them. So what is the matter with kids today? Mostly us.