FOR ONE BRIEF SHINING MOMENT....

     So will there be a musical somewhere down the line that speaks of the brief shining moment that was known as the United States of America for if G-d forbid a thousand times that the most unqualified candidate ever gets into office, that will be the end of the USA as we and history know it. Never ideal, never perfect, but always striving, at least until the moment of its demise as it allowed a Nero like demagogue take over, falling for the bread and circus routine of his, even though the bread was not really forthcoming as he did not pay his workers for their labor! How did this happen?
     It happened because the world is on fire. People are confused, distraught, despairing and worried to say the least about their future and that of their children. Instead of listening to one who has concrete plans and ideas, who truly cares for people, who has made it her career focus, fighting for the rights of children, of women, of the middle class - nope, instead they turn to one who encourages thoughts and acts of violence, who solicits and accepts the support of neo Nazis and haters of vicious composition.
     We forget that if we hold true to the values, to the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, to the dreams of the founders and of every generation after, including all the immigrants who enriched our country and let us not forget my friends that we are ALL immigrants, for even if we have to go back several generations - our families all immigrated here. We forgot all this and have lost our way and instead of looking for the sure thing, for the path that will help us get back on our feet, many foolish, dangerously foolish, people have turned to the demagogue, to the Big Liar, to he who spouts hate and threats, to the one who sucks our blood as he uses what the country gives him as a citizen, as a resident, but does not pay in to its support. Nope, that he leaves to us, the apparent suckers for doing the right thing. Truly, many of us have lost our way.
     The rules of society have been breached and even its law officials have forgotten their way and allowed partisan politics to interfere with the election. I wonder - does anyone out there realize how dangerous a step that was, how we are not only on the edge of a dangerous cliff, but already seem to have hung one foot over the edge, precariously balancing there, swaying back and forth - and wondering if it is all worth it!
     To mix metaphors a bit, the Netherlands has built a wonderful system of dikes and levees to keep the country safe from a harmful sea, an ever more dangerous one. We too need to build a set of dikes, a figurative one, that will protect us from dictators or would be demagogues, which would prevent rebellion, a physical rebellion, at the polls. How, the specifics? I leave that to those wiser and more knowledgeable than I, but these threats of Trump and his cohorts are dangerous to the very fabric of our country.
     Well, it is worth it. And we have the opportunity to keep our country going, to allow it to heal and progress. It is time we stopped with the filth and the dirty games and look into who truly has plans and does not stand there and squint and make an ugly face and open his mouth and nothing worthy of anything comes out, no plans, only threats and boasts that "I will....." the true threat and demeanor of a demagogue , of a dictator in the making. It is difficult to oust a dictator once in place so I hope, dear Lord, do I hope, that people who have not yet voted take a step back and see and hear and know the truth. Donald Trump is an immediate and acute danger to our country. Our only chance at this point is to elect Hillary Clinton, a woman who has plans, who has policies, who thinks before opening a mouth, who does not rant and who has been forced to develop a talent for the sharp retort to vicious barbs thrown her way.
     Our country has been wounded, yes. In fact, the entire globe has been wounded, but we can all return, and go on to achieve more - if, and only if, we see the truth, the fact that it will be a difficult road and anyone who promises pie in the sky immediate turnarounds is speaking out of the wrong side of his anatomy. That very person seems to be stuck on that section anyway, one who cannot keep his mouth shut, open his brain and close his zipper and control his hands - and pay his goddamn share of taxes!
     One day we might be lucky enough to have an ideal candidate who has been of sterling behavior from crib time to the present day, but we have never had that yet and I doubt that in an imperfect world we will ever have one such being so what the shouting here is about is ridiculous, And where does Trump get off thinking he has anything to offer the country other than hate and incompetence and selfishness and immorality and poor business practices for certainly his life has not given him that right at all. Experience? Tact? Knowledge? Humanity? Gone, baby, gone - and, most probably never there.
     For the sake of all of us, for the sake of our allies, for the sake of Israel, for the sake of all those living in poverty and dread, for the sake of those wishing for hope, for democracy, for the sake of those willing to fight for it, for the sake of all those who still look to us, to the USA, for all these sakes - vote Hillary Clinton now thru Election Day. Put aside the threats to rebel, to overthrow the government, to vote more than once. Put aside the lies and hate and vote in hope and possibility. Please. For all our sakes. For the future. For our kids.

HGH AND PPO

     Wondering what those letters mean? Me too when I first saw them in a book I was reading yesterday. One of the main topics written about was the hate that has grown here in the country and it was well woven into the story line. So what do they mean?
     HGH stands for "haters gonna hate" and PPO stands for "permanently pissed off" and unfortunately both these acronyms appear to be quite relevant in our times. I just finished watching a video of a Trump rally where the crowd was chanting USA, which I cannot understand as this is not a sports game where this is a typical chant and there is no way on earth that Trump has shown himself to be a patriot for in fact, he stands for everything that is diametrically opposed and frankly, if he were to be elected I believe he would tear down the Statue of Liberty as a foreign intrusion into an American harbor and one that encourages immigrants to come to this country so its gotta go! In any case, there was a man shouting "Jew SA" and making the hand sign of the neo Nazi movement. Just lovely! And never has Trump disavowed these people.
     So these haters hate and they could care less who they hate as long as they have a target, be it women, anyone who disagrees with them, immigrants - which their own ancestors were at some point, though they disremember that - any "other" as they deem other to mean and they are always shouting and hating and threatening, a truly discordant thread running thru the country and thru Trump's supporters, hence HGH and PPO.
     You know, a character in The Princess Bride tells another to "get used to disappointment." I disagree. We need to look forward to success and a return to our values, to the values which made America different, successful and a model for the world. No matter how much people scream in the world, they then turn around and try to get visas to our country because it is the best place to live and where one can still fulfill dreams, though not as much as before. But with a good president with solid plans and a Congress that is cooperative, we can pull it off again.
     I simply find that many of Trump fans have a rabidity within their words. There is a hysterical thread running thru their discourse. They shout liar, rigged, and now the Republican head of the FBI has chosen sides in a last ditch effort to affect the election by releasing  a statement for which he has no basis, has not even seen the supposed emails, has no idea what they are, has no warrant for them so how does he know what they contain and speculation is not a legal tool, yet he felt that he has to make a statement. For what? Why break the rules and tradition? The man needs to be fired or he needs to give out the whole story so we can all see it for the garbage it is. But this is what Trump supporters have done throughout the campaign. Rigged? Meanwhile, it was a Republican voter who handed in two ballots and was caught and quite frankly, at least based on my experiences as  a voter in NY and as one here and as a Clerk in one of our precincts and via other friends and relatives who have served in one capacity or another during the elections, it is quite difficult to even try to double vote and I cannot think of a single instance where it has happened for there are procedures for it all - even for people who have forgotten if they already voted!
     The worst thing about this campaign is that it is the rare Trump supporter who will quiet down long enough to hear anything. They shout over anyone, shout words, make claims that are nonsensical and overlook the lack of character, the lies their candidate has stated, his failures as a businessman with multiple bankruptcies, his refusal to allow transparency in his taxes or health or anything else, his refusal to understand the difference between legal and moral and I could go on and on. According to this man, if we had laws similar to the Nuremberg Laws here he could rightfully use them to rob people of the values of their homes and businesses and why not, for it is legal! Smart, as he says. Legal and moral are not necessarily equivocal are they?
     I, for one, cannot wait for this campaign to be over. It is dirty and nasty and does not reflect well for us in the eyes of the world. The threat of revolution and not accepting the candidate elected, made by Trump supporters and egged on by Trump himself, actually could split this great country and there are provisions within our laws that state that should they do this or even make such a threat, they could be arrested and the government could federalize the National Guard and is it not horrific that these issues are even relevant to us!
     If you look at the candidates and worry about choice, then think two years ahead and imagine the country under each candidate. Who has the self control, the solid ideas and plans, who has the experience in dealing with the world, who has worked in the government at all levels and in fact, was a damn good senator for NY, and who would you rather have the finger on the button? Who has the moral character and wonder yourself if this is the man that little boys should grow up to be and what kind of role model is he and we see what moral weakness does as we see and read of the multi rape and molestations of college women by boys or men who state that it was all "consensual" - uh huh! Why would they not do this if the president himself does it and gets away with it?
     So think carefully and enough of this ridiculous saw that both candidates are flawed. Tell me of one election where they were not. Sad but true. Perfection was never to be had and frankly never will be for all candidates are human and not angels from above come to save us all. WE need to save ourselves. Period. Sometimes I wonder if G-d ever looks down and thinks and wonders at what he hath wrought and if it was worth it. I wonder. We had better shape up and soon. We need to accept truths that are not necessarily palatable such as climate change and realistic economics and saying it ain't so does not make one right - just dumb or self denying, so take your choice.
     Think carefully, as we are voting for the future of America and in fact, the world. Show our allies that we are still steady, rock solid and to our enemies or those sitting on the fence - they will need to take a second look and think again - if we have the right person for the job. Think. Think. Cut out the rancor and the rabidity. Cut out the noise and look at the truth. Think. And vote.

REVOLUTION? ARE THEY FOR REAL?

     My antennae are up, my eyes squinting with worry, in disbelief, that there are actually voiced threats by people, Trump supporters, who threaten revolution should he lose and please G-d he will lose the election. But what a threat and these are people who not only have a handgun or two, but who have assault and semi assault weapons easily converted to full assault. These are people who refuse to hear or see the truth or accept the premise of our country - the peaceful transfer of power and the chance to continue protest all one wants, as long as it is within the law. This is America and we are not a banana republic or marching under the orders of Putin to "take back" pieces of land!
      And speaking of Trump's buddy, major hacking going on within his office - what goes around comes around - and oh such a shock - he is involved with the Ukraine disaster up to his bloody neck. This invasion has already cost over 10,000 lives and the wounded keep piling up as Putin et al keep gnawing away at Georgia, at the Ukraine and basically anywhere else they desire. This is Trump's hero so think again before giving him, Trump, your vote. Could be the last vote you ever manage to cast as he has little respect for the principles of America and our Constitution. In fact he is more ignorant than most immigrants about the Constitution and perhaps he should take a test for citizenship to prove that  oh, maybe he was not born here or is a spy, or suffering mental hallucinations or whatever! Take your choice and then see how ridiculous his claims are about other people.
     Coming back to our Village, yes, we have protested the elections, the blatant violations of our by laws and of the spirit of our home, the Village, the almost manic attachment to power and its retention - but there is no violence. That is not the way things are done. Yes, we battle for the truth, but with words, the pen, rather than the sword. But we all know that should the country devolve into almost tribal groups battling each other - the worst outcome - where do you think we will be here - it simply will not matter.
     People, we need to calm down and take a look at the supporters of the two sides. I am leaving out Gary Johnson as I feel he is a know nothing spoiler who is still learning the global map, but take a look at what we have. I am frightened of these rabid right wingers for they have no boundaries, not in their words nor their actions or threatened actions, and I worry over the extreme left who support Clinton, for honestly, there is not much difference in the vicious remarks that come out of their mouths and their wish list. I have no more use for a Roger Waters than I have for a David Duke. It is time for all of us to take a step back, dial down in what we say or threaten, and yes, make a choice, that is our right, but without the violence. Yes, to verbal statements but no to verbal statements that threaten to bring the world down upon our shoulders.
     We have forgotten that we are not another Middle East, fractured down to tribes and clans and even families. We do not engage in this organized violence and the outliers who shoot up theaters and schools should not represent the voice of the majority, not in any way. Having bought here in June, 1998, and moved permanently in June, 2003, I was shocked at the multi cracks of rifles the other week, shocked that people would shoot off weapons in my direction in the middle of a populated area. But the violence is catching and we cannot say where it would stop once initiated.
     We all know that there is intense interest in this election all over the world. Civilians and leaders are all asking where has the US gone? What road has it chosen and will this be a permanent change? The readership I have from countries ranging from our neighbor Canada to the Netherlands, to France, Russia, Africa, Asia and other countries of Europe and the world - all tell me that the people of the world are concerned.
     The United States is supposed to represent the best of the world, to be the leader of the world and yes, we have made errors, lost our way at times, but have always found our way back. Are we going to allow the rampant hatred infect us all, threatening violence, threatening deportation police, casually talk of setting off nuclear bombs? The world is a small place, a tiny globe in the vastness of space and it will not take much to send it all to hell. In fact, what with our destruction of the environment we are already doing a great job at that!
     Pull back! Yes, criticize, talk of one's beliefs, one's hopes, one's dreams - but leave the violence and the threats out. If we cannot do that then there is no hope for a prolonged and/or positive future. And then where will we be?

NIGHT OR DAY? CHOOSE ONE

     "Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it." (Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man)
     These are frightening times, especially if we see only the dark of an evil night and overlook the signs of light, the shining sun that breaks thru time and time again. Last nite I received my new T shirt  and wore it to Girls Only at the Rinker Playhouse at Kravis - note: go see it. The funniest ever and relies on humor rather than raunchiness.
In any case, the shirt engendered many comments and even the few Trump supporters there - how could there still be those around! - even they loved it. Sun shining thru.
     But we must continue to fight the good fight wherever we are and we must make sure that the turnout for elections is massive, no taking anything for granted. Not when you have people such as McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, telling people to ignore the personalities and vote for change. Huh! Change? For what? To what? Change for change alone is not a good idea. At work it usually leads to chaos and in politics, well, we all know where empty slogans go. Anyway, I love the reactions online as well and the laughs that we shared.

     But there is more to life than the campaign on the national level. There is the need for us to take closer looks at our smaller worlds and push for truth and light there as well. Yesterday, while walking around the cul de sac at Wellington, I noticed the amount of sand piling up in the area near the first pool, where the cul de sac curves. This, my friends, is the devolving of the road, not good for unsteady legs and not pretty either. I know that it can and will be cleared up now since I mentioned it here and I appreciate the effort to do that, but it does not obviate the fact that the roads are falling apart. Nor does it take away the realization that Mr. Israel, our esteemed leader, is still pushing his pet project, broadband, even though he is not entitled to make that decision and there are so many ideas and facts that rule against that idea. Just yesterday I read  an article entitled Why Google is giving up on its dream to bring super-fast broadband to everyone. Interesting title is it not, and one reason is that the expense of doing this, of expanding the broadband is too high and the usage of it is in any case not so much - not so much! We should pay attention to that.
     There are many areas here in the Village that need change so why not work for the change here. Some people are stuck in a rut, such as Gracie who cannot get past the thought that I write of what I do because I am running for something, but No, I am not, Gracie dear. The only thing I am running for is a better Village and how about this one, dear. Constructive criticism - go look it up and understand that even when we see the faults in something we love it does not mean that we stop loving it or them. Not such a difficult concept is it? For most people anyway.
     Ezekiel, 7:23, states that we need to "Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence." Well, one could say that is true when we look around at the conditions that exist all over the world but we can break the chain of evil if we all work together. Why do we have a liar such as Trump telling the African American community that he will be their champion, saying that yesterday in North Carolina. Shudder, shudder. With champions like that.... My friend from a Mexican background, though not an immigrant - as if that mattered to Trump et al, - asked me jokingly what I thought of his being from this background and I asked him if he was a "bad hombre" and that is what we need to do - take the hate and ridicule it, again and again.
     But how does one combat such hate. We have seen over and over again that there are Trump supporters who are rabid anti Semites. Here is a new guy with the same old garbage. He talks of the Rahms as "Jewish Mafia" and continues "I mean it’s not that Jews are bad, it’s just they are the head of the Jewish mafia in the United States. They run Uber, they run the health care, they’re going to scam you, they’re going to hurt you,”  and Trump says nothing, for I believe he believes the same things as this man states. We now have the student senate of Portland State University approving BDS even though the President of the University opposes it and in practical terms it means nothing, but the sentiment, the hatred.... And we must ask ourselves if the very first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, would stand by a party that is trying to prevent minorities from voting. How things change - not always so good, is it?
     So when things get bad I try to remember the sun and the day and the knowledge that the night will pass. This morning I read and actually heard about the becoming a citizen of a 100 year old Holocaust survivor who after the war was denied entry into the US and finally succeeded and just yesterday took her oath. She was determined to vote in this election and with a big grin stated her choice - Hillary! Daylight and sunshine.
     We have the ability still to find a good book and  by the way, I highly recommend Claiming Noah and I also recommend that you all go and see the movie Denial. Hard to watch, one squirms in the seat at the garbage that people spew, but needs to be seen and is a true story or event. The good guys won here. There are rays of light; it is just that at times we need to work really hard to find them.
     Night has indeed touched all of us and we twist and squirm as we try to avoid it, defeat it, and defeat those that prefer the night. And we must always remember that we always have the chance to change the night, to turn it into day - if only we try, if only we care enough.
     "Dear Children, trust the night and have
       Faith in tomorrow.
       That these hours of ambiguity and
       Indecision may be also
       The hours of healing."
            W.H. Auden (English poet)
We can vanquish the nite. We can turn its darkness into light, into an asset - if only we care enough. So ask yourself just where you stand and understand that the darkness of night expands if one does nothing. We all have seen that and we know that is true right down deep into our very bones. I am trying for the sun and for the healing side of the dark as we reach and struggle for the light, for the sun to shine down on all of us. Trump is funny, yes, a joke, yes, but maybe not so funny when we realize what he is all about and who hangs around him and who will be in that West Wing with him. Let us make sure that the night takes him along with it as it is vanquished by the light of day.
    

Read the latest issue of the CVMessenger

Click Here

LIES, LIARS AND (GASP!) A NASTY WOMAN

      "Liar, liar!" How often have we heard those words this election season and how correct is it? In fact, why are we having such a problem with telling the truth - in the campaign, in our lives and in the nation and world at large. The telling of the Big Lie has been a technique used to falsify the truth, avoid the truth and control others. The tragedy is that the technique works, at least for a good deal of time, and it takes hard work and even tragic events to uncover the truth and make it work, get people to understand how they bought into that lie.
     Blood libel, racial statements, demonization of the other, denial of facts - all are part and parcel of this trend of lies, this technique of making up the biggest lie one can and then defending it by oppressing those who would deny the truth of those lies, those who fight for the truth. We see it all the time and is it not time that we all stand up and do the right thing, Fight against the lies and the liars. Demand the truth and demand answers. Tell the truth oneself. Honor the truth, no matter what - but yes, you can tell someone that he/she looks good even if that color just does not do it!
     It seems that we are all guilty of telling lies at times and that is human, What must be done is to try to improve ourselves and defeat those who would continue to lie and deny the truth, the right of the people to know that truth. So UNESCO lies about thousands of years of history and truth by stating that basically only Moslems have ties to the Temple Mount and Plaza. And the world allows it and today will be a deja vu performance in a similar vote along with a threat from Palestinians and the Kingdom of Jordan that to vote against what they want will bring big troubles upon the heads of those who dare do that. So why the hell are we allowing this vote and quite frankly, why do we even have this UN? It is worthless. It is toothless in defending people who need defending, It brings cholera to Haiti and then denies the truth and lo and behold - the truth was revealed anyway. We would be better off starting over with the truth and building upon that.
     We lie in the campaign as well. Neither candidate is as pure as the driven snow but yikes, one is so blatant that people have begun to attach a sobriquet to him, The Big Liar and I guess that goes along with The Orange Man. Both try to hide the truth under cover of disguise and it just does not work. His stooges are the same and when Gingrich tells Megyn Kelly that she is obsessed by sex as she presses hard on that issue and Trump, she rightfully replies, "You know what, Mr. Speaker? I am not fascinated by sex, but I am fascinated by the protection of women and understanding what we're getting in the Oval Office."
     The Clinton campaign is threatened by WikiLeaks and yet there has been no great reveal has there ? Yes, she made a mistake in the server but evidently so did many others along the way and her server was not hacked while that of the State Department was and now there are new hackings coming from the Kremlin and backed by Trump and hey, I am not very comfortable making nice nice with an enemy of our country. Trump is. Trump denies and denies, yet Clinton has assumed responsibility and apologized. He has not and even had he, it would be a crocodile apology, meaning nothing. Actions and words, actions and words.
     The same thing goes for us here in the Village where hard questions need to be asked and answers need to be forthcoming. An example? We all know that the AC system and the chillers and the towers in the main Clubhouse are garbage and have been for over a decade - yes, that long and longer. They should have ben replaced long ago when the building was rebuilt after the hurricanes of 2005 destroyed it. But nope - it was not.
     Well, roosters always come home to roost and patch as we went along has failed big time. Truly, it is the Levy group, WPRF, which must replace it as they are responsible for capital improvements but oh, evidently putting in a new AC system is not in that category! Huh!!! Since when. Check any tax return of one who had some rental real estate and see what capital improvement is. When we improved an apartment for a tenant we did so as capital improvements were our responsibility and shirking that was not the way to go but evidently there is a different truth here and once again we have the 'truths" of Animal Farm.
Here is the truth of the matter.
     "Dan Cruz introduced Tim Feagans from JRLD Inc. Engineers. He drew up the plans for the replacement of the cooling towers. He stated the towers are in serious condition, and should have been replaced about three years ago and could have a complete failure at any time. The towers are made of steel and have a life expectancy of 7 years (Ours is 15 + years old). The new towers will be constructed with stainless steel and will have a life expectancy of 15- 20 yr. (with proper maintenance).
The chillers are O.K., however the pumps need to be replaced. This will increase water flow, operate quieter and improve the efficiency of the chillers. The black cast-iron pipes (deteriorating) will be replaced with HDPE (High Density Poly propylene) piping. The water isolation valves, which are frozen and inoperable, will also be replaced.
This is a 3 phase job- 1. Replace cooling tower. 2. Replace cast-iron piping. 3. Replace valves & pumps. By doing these jobs simultaneously a savings of approx. 10% of the total cost of the project can be realized, ($70,000).
Upon completion of this project, the committee will have to contract with this Engineering firm to complete another study to bring this AC system into 100% efficiency. We need to address the air handlers, duct work, and finally the control system. When completed, we will be able to keep the temperatures consistent throughout the clubhouse. "
     So why did we not do it right the first time? You answer that, my friends and this is simply one example of where things were not done right, and we are living with the legacy what with an irrigation system that is basically worthless and expensive to keep patching, a road system that speaks for itself - just take a walk along its byways - our waters were and are polluted and the algae killed off, at least what we can see on the surface, but at what cost and is it truly gone? The laziness to find the truth, the laziness which inclines UCO to take the easy - but wrong - way out, the temptation to treat the Village as their playground and ignore the by laws, force pet desires and projects upon us - when does this end, when does this telling of lies to the residents finally stop? It must stop with us, the residents and we must install delegates who think and are not under thrall to David Israel; we must fight to change this system, this broken system and we must do it quickly.
     We must not be intimidated. Just as abused women finally came out in public, just as the society has finally begun to recognize that there are people and viewpoints that are of the Middle Ages, particularly if one is a woman, a minority, an immigrant or descendant of one, a handicapped person with one disability or another and the list goes on.
     Nor will intimidation work. Calling people liars when they are telling the truth will not work. Sending shills to threaten them with verbal or even physical harm will not work. Telling people to SHADDUP will not work. Telling people that they are "nasty" will not work. Uh, wait a minute on that last one. In fact, Gracie dear, I accept that sobriquet. I am a nasty woman and am proud of it for it means that I stand for the truth, stand with pride as a woman,stand against those who would oppress us, against those who would break our country into pieces, who would destroy our democracy all the way down to the lowest level of governmental entity, for yes, I am a nasty woman as Trump believes that to be defined and I even have a T shirt to that effect. So find another word and please do not follow in the path of PC. Have a bit of pride in oneself and a bit of shame that you are aligned with such as he.
     The truth is the way to go. The truth should be contained at least in the majority of statements we and others make. The truth is what needs to be sought and recognized no matter who or what the label is. Bob Rivera is correct when he states that we should not vote the Party line but the person line. That is the way to do it. We are a democracy, not a fascistic country where the party line is the be all and end all. We have had that the past eight years and our country has been at a standstill or worse. Enough!!! Truth, Courage, recognition of those who speak the truth and retirement for those who do not. Enough. Nastiness as defined by Trump? Yup!
     By the way, just read the Messenger and must say that though they used portions of what I had written on my blog - in no way did I ever blame this incident on David Israel, only disliking the fact that he tried to put it off as a "rant" on my part, silly man that he is. He did not have anything to do with the shooting.

SCHEDULE

Last two days of all the holidays. Will be back Wednesday morning. Enjoy reading what has been posted. Thanks.

CHECK THE BOX

     The other day I had an appointment with a new doctor and was told to arrive 45 minutes prior to appointment time in order to fill out the usual biographical tome. Wow! 45 minutes. That must be a truly huge bunch of papers, but what can one do?
     Upon arrival and being given the packet, it was a tad thicker, but not that it would need 45 minutes. Well, at least I was armed with a book for the extra wait time and thus assured of non boring time, I began. Like the phrase usual suspects, these were for the most part usual questions, but some were interesting or interestingly phrased, giving rise to some thoughts.
     "...adult children". Hmmm. Is any child ever truly adult in the mind of the parent? One can write a doctoral thesis on that question, but as I truly wanted to finish this packet, I moved on. I could always debate or discuss this issue at another time, so...onward.
     Wow! I have never seen so many boxes under the question of race! This could be interesting. Practically every Asian country was listed as its own race, which is truly interesting as many are closely related and actually stem from the same source. For example Koreans and Japanese, are racially related, though many might be unhappy at that thought so why separate them and indeed all other Asian countries. Is there really such a difference between Laos and Vietnam? Did such minute differences have great medical significance and if so, then why not do the same with other so called racial distinctions such as people of original Mediterranean stock as they are liable for certain diseases or syndromes and what about Jews for they have certain so called "Jewish diseases" such as Tay Sachs or Gaucher's? So where to start and where to finish?
     Having time on my hands, I allowed my mind to wander as this question has truly bugged me for a long time. In fact, I dislike it intensely for unless there is a reason for this that is medically relevant, it should make no never mind as to what race the patient is or came from or will be in the future! Now you might ask, how can we look in to the future and how can race change? Well, just follow along into the world of the absurd. 
     Okay. So following the example of breaking down the Asian countries into separate racial boxes, we need to do the same to the "white" race as well. Only fair. And full disclosure, checking the white race always bugs me for it is insufficient if we are truly interested in bottom line and why the heck anyway! So. In depth look at the "white" race. Let us begin with the Slavic race for that is certainly a distinguishable race within the larger category of white. But then again we have further division into the Polish Slav and the Russian Slav and then how do we define the person who comes from both or do we refer to a hyphenated version and then what about the Slav who then intermarries with a , say, French person so what is their child to check at the doctor's office in order to be precise.
     And anyway, the French differ within themselves for try telling a Frenchman of many generations from Paris that he is of the same racial breakdown as a person from another French city or what about the Basque? Are they of French racial breakdown or are they separate and distinct. Most of the Basque would go for choice number two but uh oh, we have French Basque and Spanish Basque and even American Basque so how do we set up the boxes here and how do we instruct checking them off? Getting complicated, is it not?
     Try going to an easy "race" ---aha, the Finns. They are often used as a so called pure race for medical and sociological studies as there is very little mixing there but what about if there is? Does the child then become a mixed race person and if so what box or do we need to set up boxes for all permutations? And even the English of the British Isles - not so simple is it? Look at the mixing of the races there - Picts, Celts, Britons, Saxons, Danes and other Norsemen, Normans, Angles. Wow, tad complicated.
     And then of course we can look to ourselves as Americans. We are the great Heinz variety even though the people of Hawaii claim that title for themselves and come to that, there was actually a box for Hawaiian race and I was very tempted to check that - by voluntary and wishful adoption! But back to Americans. There are often intermarriages between Irish and Italian backgrounds so what box to check there? That could be an interesting topic at a family dinner table. And anyway, why not a new race box entitled Americans as no doubt about it, whether the American in question be black, white, pink, red, yellow or chartreuse, one can easily pick out the American in a crowd There is just something different in the way they carry themselves and this is a fact that sociologists often discuss and analyze.
     And what about the race I always look for in order to check, but there I am, lumped together with all whites, no distinction amongst us. Yet there is. For example, are Jews a race anyway or is it merely a religious difference but in that case there are many, many people who made grave errors based on that. Perhaps it was merely a question of reeducating Hitler and all anti Semites or perhaps it is really not so simple. Is it perhaps an ethnic difference and then explain the difference between that and race. And what about the Jews who come from Ethiopia or Burma or who return to the tribe after finding that their Spanish background has Jewish roots from way back, or Indian Jews who have discovered Jewish roots to Iranian merchants from centuries ago? I mean, where does it start and where does it end and how many boxes are we to have and why anyway!!
     Finally, don't you love the new boxes that ask you if one is of more than one race or partial race or mixed race or even a new race and for Heaven's sake, why does it matter? And hey, what about when visitors from outer space come visiting, say Venusians and do we add a new box and what about if we find that the Venusians divide themselves into three racial divisions so how do we account for their racial mixing and what about if a Venusian marries a Martian and then that child marries a "mixed" race Earth person so how many boxes.....let me see.....let me count....but what if.....and so.....
    Hey, anyone know where my migraine pills are?
     Seriously, folks, is it not time that we stop categorizing ourselves, separating ourselves, looking for the differences rather than the similarities? Is it not that which is aggravating us all and rending great big rips through our society. Is it not the fact that there are people such as the one who can send me a message and his lettering - "a complete Crazy Shithead....a miserable yenta....", (and we all know the "lovely" gentleman who sends these love notes to me!), people who cannot stand the free discussion and free speech without resorting to nastiness, and even threats such as one that tells me that I had better move - aren't these people symbolic of a race we do not need or want hanging around - the nasty race people!? Why can we not add another box - the nasty race box and perhaps try to avoid them or somehow turn them human and humane again.
     Oy, still looking for those migraine pills!

    

DAVID ISRAEL TRUMPS TRUMP!

     It seems as if the rude behavior, the almost psychotic behavior of Trump has led to some wanna be behavior by people who are also or similarly morally and truthfully challenged. This is sad, very sad  and it is especially so when the person who emulates Trump actually manages to "Trump" Trump in his own limited sphere, distorting any and all items until they fit a distorted view of his own alternative reality.
     The other day I reported on a shooting that took place from somewhere towards the rear of the property of Aitz Chaim, the synagogue across the street from the Haverhill gate of CVWPB. The area beyond the property line to the back and the side, as well as the back of the property itself is an area, a very large, many acres large area, filled with a canal or waterway of some kind plus bushes, trees, hedges, and wild grass as well as well as grass not trimmed to a short length. Keep that in mind.
     Sometime in the early PM, after 1PM, closer to the half hour I believe - not paying attention to the time as we were sharing a holiday meal with friends within the sukkah, the temporary structure built for the holiday when suddenly we heard a crack!, a sharp sound. This was not the sound of a backfire and having heard the sounds of weapons fire before in other venues, I know the sound of a shot. A bit confused as to from where and why this was heard was then overshadowed by the sound of another crack! and another crack! and when we stood up to take a look thru the windows of the sukkah there followed many crackcrackcrackcrack etc., and we all decamped for the interior of the synagogue and called the PBSO. Having kept us on the phone for about 20 minutes, we finally had several PBSO cars roll onto the property, a half hour after we called.
     We had two cars, a sedan and a pickup style truck on the grounds along with their drivers, a male and female PBSO deputy. We told them what we had heard, what had transpired and they went to the back to have a walk thru the grounds, seeking, I believe, some bullets, or pellets or BBs or whatever. I kinda doubted there would be anything sighted as I did not know the distance of the shooting nor did I think that looking thru a slightly bent over position at untrimmed grass would prove fruitful and the shooting had long stopped during that half hour wait for PBSO to arrive. Soon another vehicle with I believe two more deputies arrived, they having gone to the other side of the property wall or line. There was no one there to find - not a surprise as I do not believe anyone would have stayed around to get arrested! As for casings or brass or anything else - not there or not seen, another non surprise. Gerry and I gave our names as we are permanent residents and the deputies appeared to prefer that to temporary snowflakes.
     After they left we locked up the property and returned home, shaken and shocked, but glad that at least the shooters were not so brazen as to hang around for another opportunity. We reported this to synagogue officials and I wrote of it in the blog simply to make a point that had nothing at all to do with David Israel. HOWEVER, this being a small man and I am not talking of stature but of character traits or lack thereof, decided to investigate on his own, calling PBSO and  I do not know to whom he spoke, and he then reported back to committee members who asked about this by saying that PBSO told him there was nothing there, nothing happened and his conclusion? I had made this up to somehow get at him! The man is paranoid, living in his paranoid alternative world, like his idol Trump, who imagines the world revolves around him and all is rigged against him, that the world, aside from his henchmen and lackeys, are against him and thus must judge all that occurs within his purview by that standard. Sad, very sad.
     Trump believes in his own self deluded words as does David Israel, even unto the point of calling me and the other witnesses liars or deluded fools. By mid week we will have the report and I will do my best to find out who spoke to him re this incident. I will try to make sure I do. I was there as were five other intelligent, hearing people. We know what we heard and the fact that a cursory inspection did not turn up "proof" is not indicative of the fact that "nothing happened' as David states. Trump world here we go. Might even be a better descriptive word than the old Bizzaro world!
     Trump, a man of no character and David Israel, another man of no character. Two men who judge the world as to how it affects them in their tiny little minds and perverted view of the world. Two men who delight in demeaning others, in being rude to others, who believe that all are against them. Too bad. I actually feel sorry for them but also know how dangerous they both are to the public good and welfare.
     At least in CV we have forced David Israel to at least open up more of UCO to the public as we have demanded info but there is till a long way to go. His insistence on plunging ahead with the unnecessary broadband project despite the desire of the Village against it, his lack of proper fiscal planning to the tune of millions, as we approach a necessary and complete overhaul of the water pumps and irrigation system within the Village and the elephant in the room - the multi million dollar job of the road repair after having blown five and a half million dollars on the crappiest job ever, the fact that we are approaching the post Millennium era with the Levys and we have done zilch about it, that we have not saved up any of the funds needed for these long term needs of the Village infrastructure, that we blow our funds on repairs that truly belong to the Levys as they are capital improvements, but no, we continue to bow down and thank them for the privilege of paying for a new AC system, new lifts in Hastings and for wasteful projects such as murals and keep on paying for a Clubhouse that has been half closed for months already!! This is what the man needs to busy himself with but nope, he is, in a paranoid manner, seeking out all his "enemies" so as to eliminate them.
     Well, too bad for you, David. I am not going anywhere and you will simply have to accept it as a fact of life. This paragraph is to be found in a letter that some 250 women rabbis wrote re Donald Trump and just look at how well the shoe fits on David Israel's foot as well.
     "...we find Donald Trump’s denigration of so many people and groups to be an ongoing assault he perpetually carries out before the entire world,” the letter continued. “He does this recklessly in the name of our society. "
     Hopefully we have rid ourselves of the danger of Trump as a "leader" of the country and would that it were so here. That time will soon be here and just watch this man ramp up his paranoid fantasies, his crude and cruel language at meetings and assemblies, this man who was so pleased when one of his lackeys shouted, spitting, in my face, at a meeting, that I was a piece of ..... and why? Because I dared to oppose the then proposed Wi Fi project and referred to their talk as techie talk that needed to be explained to people who were not so familiar with these terms Well, off went Ron Rosov and there sat David, gleefully watching rather than banging his infernal gavel and calling for order. Sick man, sick behavior and outtrumping Trump in his own little world. Shame on you, David, shame on you. Such pettiness and nastiness and why, what for? The world does not revolve around you, not even here in the Village or in the nearby area. You are simply not that important in and to the lives of all of us. There is a life for you somewhere out there - do try to find it without any more damage to others. And in the meanwhile, how about three Town Halls - one for the transportation system and the new contract and the promises of the contractor - before giving the delegates three minutes to read a many paged, tiny print contract and then vote. The same goes for your broadband and for the situation of the golf course as Golf's Edge people have allegedly received notice of the imminent construction of a fence. Are we going to allow them to be cut off from easy access of emergency crews that might need to save a life or two, you know, minor things like that or concerns over the irrigation pipes that run under the golf course and that affect us and do we need more input and info. Town halls - transparency for everything that concerns the residents whether we have to drag you kicking and screaming to this state of compliance or not. And do not forget the huge increase that the residents will be paying this year and we still will not have reserve funds sufficient for all our needs. I truly feel for those who cannot afford this and the future huge increases. And what is this that I am hearing about increasing our UCO payroll as suddenly we will be paying several people for jobs that have hitherto gone as volunteer jobs and if we will be paying Don Foster as CAM, and I believe he is doing a good job as far as I can see, then he cannot be a voting member of UCO committees. There are rules.  Hey, perhaps you will donate a can or two to them as the residents struggle to keep themselves fed and medicated and alive! You see, David, there are people who are of more concern to us than you. Grow up and leave the toddler world of the me, me, me world viewpoint. Try it - you might even like it.

COME THE REVOLUTION?

     According to Trump the title is obsolete for the revolution is apparently here. For those who say that Trump represents change - and I have always asked about the caliber of that change - well, here it is. He has unilaterally declared that there will be no more democracy within the USA for election results do not matter, as oh, he would keep the results should he win - SHUDDER!!!!! - but should Clinton win? Well, he'll see. He wishes to keep us in suspense. And then what? Riots in the street? Second Amendment gun nuts coming out in force, running thru our cities and villages and shooting any anti Trump person?
     This is the most dangerous statement that this man has ever made. His speech is rife with incorrect facts, lies thru his teeth, misuses words and even makes them up - anyone ever hear of the word "bigly" - and he dares to show his contempt for our country, for what it stands for, threatening to overturn it should he not be pleased with election results??!! As Clinton so correctly stated - that is most horrifying, beyond, well beyond the pale of what is right and correct and any other word one wants to use. Is this the true desire of Trump supporters? Is this what his famous deportation police will be used for - to overturn the government?
     This man who needed some jail time for his sexual habits, this man who lies and lies and lies again, who claims the "stories" were fabricated and debunked, now this same man needs to be taken to legal task for fomenting rebellion, treason even. What else can we call what he said, that he would keep us in suspense come the results. Is this the change that you people out there want? I cannot believe that for the most part. I believe that those who support Trump need to open their eyes and see the danger he is to us, to democracy, to our very being. I guess his admiration of all the dictators of history has gone to his head and rather troubled brain and he forgets his place in the order of things!
     So the pundits said this was his best debate of the three. Well, if one tries for a target and on the third try actually hits the outside border, does that make it a good debate or presentation? Absolutely not. Yes, I will give him credit for, let's see.....Okay, he kept his sniffling and snuffling down though it made its presence known. Sorry, cannot say the same for the ridiculous and most ugly faces that he makes throughout the entirety of the debate. He did stay behind the stand, obviously well tutored in that , so as to keep his hulking to an invisible presence. However, his constant interruptions, his "wrong" "wrong" wrong" to everything he did not like to hear, or his comment that Clinton is a "nasty woman" well, that was lovely and we never did hear his answer to the Chinese steel, to his deportation of jobs, and while he boasted of his great financial success, well, how many bankruptcies does it take to realize that success is not necessarily so! His boasting that he took advantage of loopholes to his sinful level, and his once again incorrect comparison to Buffett who did publish his taxes unlike Trump, well, how much more did and do we need to hear?
     Clinton was well prepared, facts handy in her head, well acquainted with the misdeeds and lies of Trump and if there are issues with the emails, well, she has already taken responsibility for it unlike Trump who claims all things not for Trump are guilty of rigging things against him. This man is not presidential at all. This man does not belong on the ballot and needs to be repudiated by his Party. If not, then the assumption is that they too agree with his wait and see attitude about accepting results of the election. Time to stand up and do the right thing.
     So Clinton is not perfect. She has some weak spots. She took money for the Foundation from some countries we do not necessarily think of as perfect, but we are not at war with these countries, we have trade with these countries, we have treaties with them, so why not take their money to help those in need. And by the way, Trump's remarks re the Haitians who "hate" Clinton? Well, he needs to come back and talk to those to whom I had conversations with during registration drives. Veeeery different. And as far as the emails re her campaign and issues - what the hell is wrong with being prepared? What is wrong with having facts at hand, knowing these facts, discussing issues and allowing for dissent until a policy is hashed out. Where the hell are his policies. All I ever heard from him was bluster and hot air.
     We are at a crossroads. Are we America or are we not? Are we to build our democracy, fix what has gone wrong, try to become one nation again unlike the divided nation that Trump wants and strives to bring about? Are we going to be the country where the anti Semitism becomes even more open and nastier, where Jewish journalists receive nasty verbal and pictorial threats, where some even need to hire bodyguards? Are we to be the country that denigrates all African Americans, all Latinos, all who are not the favored class of Trump? Is everybody a "bad hombre" according to his definition? I guess bigly so!
     We need the passion of Hillary Clinton. I like her preparedness, her gathering of the facts before making a decision, her calm in the face of attacks, unlike Trump, her ability to shoulder blame as the head honcho, again unlike Trump, her fervent passion when it comes to the rights of women, of the disenfranchised of society, of the need to improve life for the many, her boldness in telling the 1% that yes, they will have to pony up and big time! I support her views on Roe v. Wade and anyone who has or had a friend or knows  a person who was damaged by a back alley abortion, by the tremendous pressure of making such a decision and sorry - no man can understand that the same way as a woman can - well , here is a President that the country and the world can trust. Perhaps were Hitler alive or Saddam Hussein alive they would return Trump's admiration of them, but they are representative of the nasty side of humanity and that is emphatically NOT what we need as president! For sure!!
     Reread my posting from yesterday and then reread today's. Which road, folks, which road? Do we remake America, turn back to the founding principles amended as life needs them to be at times, or do we go down the road to a tragedy and a footnote in history that once there was such a country and we join the ranks of a disappeared Camelot, of a Rome that also turned its back on its founding principles and ideals, of any country that lost its bearings. America is great. If it makes mistakes, the beauty of it all is that it is willing to shoulder the mistake and its consequences and fix it. It reaches out to the hungry, to the dispossessed, to the needy and yet always remembers to keep us secure and safe. That is the America we need and that is most certainly not the America of Trump!!

CAN'T? WON'T? UH-UH. HAS. IS. WHY?

     No, folks, unfortunately there is no mistake in the title. It is shorthand for the following: It can't happen here? It won't happen here? Nope. It already has and it certainly is. So why , why does it still happen and why is it increasing?
     While George Washington wrote his famous Letter to the Jews, making it very clear that this newfound country was going to welcome them as it would all religions, unfortunately it has not always been so - not for Jews  nor for members of other minorities, be it racially, ethnically or religiously targeted. But never, never, did I think that I would ever live to see the day when I would be shot at, yes, shot at, while sitting on the property of the synagogue across the street from Century Village in West Palm Beach.
     I guess I was being a bit naïve, as this has gone on and even had a member of my family shot at years ago as he drove home from Yeshiva University. There have been Jews targeted, from Halberstam, shot and killed while on the ramp to the Brooklyn Bridge, to Meir Kahane, to many other incidents, However, this time it was me and the friends we were sitting with, in the sukkah, the hut built to commemorate the journeys of the Israelites thru the desert on their way to Canaan.
We heard a crack! then another one and another and when we looked towards the area behind the synagogue we heard a fusillade of shots, a large volley and we went inside and called the PBSO which came a tad slow, but did send a number of deputies and cars. To top it off, I now understand that an American flag desecrated with anti Semitic slogans was thrown at a large synagogue in Tampa. And not to forget the rabbi slain in Miami two years ago.
     Furthermore, there has been a campaign of anti Semitic intimidation of reporters of the Jewish faith. From Jeffrey Goldberg to the latest it is quite atrocious but definitely here. The latest involves a reporter, Hadas Gold, who was shown with a bullet hole in her head and a yellow star pinned to her chest. She was told, “Don’t mess with our boy Trump or you will be first in line for the camp,” read a message accompanying the photo. “Aliyah or line up by the wall, your choice.” (Aliyah is the moving to Israel)
     There have been other targets, such as Julie Ioffe, who was shown with her face inside an oven, the oven being one that would have burned the Jews during the Nazi regime. I could go on and on but the point is that it is, it was and seemingly always will be but has increased of late and in Europe, where the right wingers seem to have come out on top lately, but here, in this country, I believe we need to look directly at Trump and many of his supporters. 
     There is a nasty attitude coming down directly from the top, from the candidate himself, that encourages this outrageous behavior. He is a man of no morals, no manners, and watch tonite to see his latest dirty tricks that he will try and then whine about when they do not work and he comes off looking even more like an ass than he has before! Watch him interrupt, hulk around the stage, make ridiculous accusations, even dangerous ones such as the need to challenge the system for it is "rigged" or so he says - against him, of course! And watch his ugly faces that he makes. And yet, in reality, it is not his rabid fans that are blocked but rather those who would support Clinton and Democratic candidates down ballot, whose rights to register are challenged, blocked and trampled upon, like the 60's all over again. In fact, his statements and behavior reminds one too closely of Hitler and his antics.
     Both Trump and Hitler were and are considered buffoons. Both were thought unlikely to win and yet one caused a conflagration which engulfed the world and the other is a presidential candidate who could, should enough unthinking or foolish people vote for him. They both use the technique of the Big Lie, the Outrageous Lie, and the followers just parrot it all.  I even ran into several who cite as proof positive of his statements that "everyone says so!" Really? Is that how we prove things, how we believe things now?
     And how anyone can vote for this moral pig, (sorry, pigs of the world), is beyond me. Shall we all go home and stay there, safe from the likes of him and his adherents, keep our daughters stuffed in a back room and our sons - G-d alone knows how we could raise decent boys and men were he to be elected. The mere fact that there are still people who will vote for him is shocking. The people who support him are the same people who shot at us two days ago - the very same deplorable people of whom Clinton spoke. No, she was not wrong there, for many are deplorable and unfortunately many are fooled or have blinders on and are not taking the long look down the road at all. The proof, the pudding and all, is right there so why can people not see? How can they discount all who have come forward and so, and while I too despise the behavior of Bill Clinton during his heyday, he is not running for President and you should excuse me, Hillary Clinton is not running around pulling men by their johnsons, is she!!!
     I came across a phrase the other day which I like very much. It talks of the gift of possibility, that which allows us to look into the future and hope, for the possible is there and the impossible we can make possible. We seem to have lost that gift, that optimism which enabled that gift of possibility. We seem to have come across the two paths of Robert Frost and too many have seemingly chosen the wrong one. We need to rectify that error, to look down the long road ahead of us no matter who is president and learn to make the right decisions. The world and our country are in big trouble and it is incumbent upon us to make the right decision, to make a proper and informed choice and yes, while there have been more appetizing candidates, I have come to believe that Hillary Clinton has been maligned more than should be and I have come to appreciate her preparedness, her insistence on knowing the facts, on the depth of her position papers from her website, from her desire to talk of the issues even whilst that man rambles around both physically, mentally and orally. His backers have withdrawn, a tad too late, but hers have increased. She is of presidential material while he, oof! don't make me say it in polite company. Listen tonite to the last debate and watch how he has been prepared by a liar, Chris Christie, perhaps even an alleged criminal, and by Giuliani who has lost the luster of his post 9/11 behavior for sure. He has been tutored to attack, attack and attack, interrupt and overshout, accuse with outrageous comments and go after health issues because the woman had pneumonia. So what? and if this is the issue, health, then why does he sniffle and snuffle so much on stage. Does he have a coke habit? A constant head cold - and perhaps that would explain the stuffiness of his thinking - or does he has an esoteric virus which he cannot shed? See, the ridiculous accusations can work both ways. Issues. That is what we need and that is what we will never get from him, never.
     So we need to all make a choice.
     "The thin grey line of a road, winding across the plain and up and down hills, was the fixed materialization of human longing, and of the human notion that it is better to be in one place than another."  Isak Dinesen
     Let us choose the right road, the correct path, that will take us to the other place we need to be, the other place which will allow us to find and exercise the gift of possibility in a proper and enriching manner. Please G-d, let it be so - or else all the people who have been threatening to emigrate to Canada will be a long line for sure!!
     And in a postscript to Gracie, not so amazing Grace - what the hell was that - another nasty note confirming even more the serious issues you have? Please see a doctor to discuss your nastiness in depth. Perhaps there is still hope for you. Maybe.
    
    

WITHIN THE HEART

         "For what other dungeon is so dark as one's own heart!
        What jailer so inexorable as one's self!"
                           Nathaniel Hawthorne
                       The House of Seven Gables

     Many times we keep our darkest thoughts and our darkest experiences to ourselves, holding to the belief that a secret once shared is a secret no longer and there are just some things we do not wish aired. And yet, when we look at so many of these secrets we find they have been torturing us for years, decades even and airing them is good for both the individual and the collective soul. At other times it simply exposes the rotten heart that has been hiding or trying to hide itself from the world and as always, one way or another, the truth will out.

     We have already had a collective shock with the shocking facts about Bill Cosby, a man beloved in this country, admired and yet now we know that not only does he have feet of clay, but that he is indeed all clay and so to find that another figure of society, a presidential candidate, also is a clay figure - well, here we go again, only this time it is worse,

     That such a figure has reached this point, that he could possibly or conceivably have been elected, that there are still people who after all that has been seen and exposed, after all they have heard, still support this man, wow! It is beyond me. The man is a pig - and I believe I am insulting the pigs at this point. His heart has indeed been his dungeon wherein he has kept his darkest thoughts and actions and yet here they are and in denying them he uses the same damning terms - i.e. that the woman is not up to his standards for molestation - he would never stoop so low and then has the nerve to again sexualize his battle with Clinton, using derogatory body image statements. The man never learns - and  it seems, nor do his supporters.

     But the worst thing about this is the fact that within his dungeon of a heart also lay captured the lives of so many women, women who had kept this secrets for decades lest they be shamed themselves and therein is the crux of the matter - to have been molested by another is not a mark or badge of shame on the victim but rather on the molester and  yet, and yet.... How many women have now come forth about Trump and his disgusting behavior and how many legions of women have now turned to their friends, their family and told them of long buried secrets along these lines. I know there are many for I have heard them now, told of, spoken of in low voices, eyes down and yes, I, too, have told of the three times I have been the target of actions, once at 14, once at 18 and several times, a continuing series that took me some time to realize it as such, as an adult - from a respected member of the community - and so we all kept quiet.

     Look at what happens now when the first questions that are asked are along the lines of if so, then why quiet so long and what were you wearing, what did you say as if the victim was the aggressor and there lay the fault. Well, no more and kudos to those who have climbed out of that hole of despair and non deserved shame and it is time that the world recognize that yes, there is racial and ethnic and religious bias and all sorts of hatred, but a primary one which cuts across all those lines is the gender bias, the implicit bias that runs like a dark vein through the hearts of many and any woman who does not know this is beyond my ken. We who have worked have all felt that bias, that extra struggle we had to advance, to be recognized, to be able to speak up and over the voices that would drown us out and an example of that use of the voice as a bully tool can be clearly seen in the 18 times that Trump interrupted - 18 times!!!

     And if one thinks that this is to be found only within Trump, well think again. Recall past DAs and think of how David Israel tries to outtalk and outshout and overcome the voices of truth and honesty, the voices that ask hard questions, the voices that will not go away. Those voices have been on the receiving end of voiced nastiness, of threats and yet, they are still here. When one sees a national figure behave in this manner then one is encouraged to continue and here we are. These people see nothing and no one other than their own desires and David Israel's insane and monolithic attempts to bring on broadband is an example of this rude and selfish and thoughtless behavior. There is no concern for the fees, no concern for the fact that UCO is entitled only to negotiate cable. Period. Not phone. Not Internet. Period and yet we are hearing from two companies, one who suddenly has all the fiber optics they need though we heard previously that they needed three year lead time, a second company that is so new that the dew drips from behind the ears and why do we want to take a chance on this? Was the almost debacle of DSL and Wi Fi wiring not enough of a message and a lesson? Evidently not! And where is Comcast, the elephant in the room and indeed in the industry, a company which is even giving free broadband in order to keep its place and why can we not try to get some of that as we are a long term customer and have some poverty here as well, so perhaps we can get something of a break though why we are doing this anyway boggles the mind.

     So just as the bully Trump tries to override all else in his stomping and hulking around, in his ridiculous comments that when it is "appropriate" he will reveal the proof of his innocence in sexual molestation, in taxes - oops, that was out of the bag - in health and in whatever, so too does David Israel hide and obfuscate and run rampant over the lines of decency and true democracy. Perhaps he will join Trump is his new demand that a drug test be administered before the next debate. This from the man who sniffles and snuffles like a person suffering from an addiction!

     How much more can we take of either and how much more can we take of the hypocrites who are either afraid to disavow this nutjob or who believe in his garbage and the same goes for here in the Village. People are clinging to their pieces of power, swimming alongside the shark, imitating the life of the sea.

     We all must look into our hearts these days, rummage around and find what is good and true and have the courage to acknowledge where one has gone wrong and then wend one's way back to the proper pathways of life, hard as it might be. Think what is of value, eternal value and remember - "In the end, stories are what's left of us, we are no more than the few tales that persist." (Salman Rushdie in The Moor's Last Sigh). What are the stories you wish to be told about you? I know what I hope for and what I strive for. Do you?

I NEED A HERO - WE NEED A HERO

     Remember the heroes of old, or not so old, America, its founders, the people we looked up to and admired, wrote about, acted in plays? Remember those? Well, where are they now that we need them? Well, we have destroyed many of them, poked around in their lives so much that we have found every peccadillo of theirs, judged them by the standards of today and cast a blight upon them without replacing them and so we are now without a hero, without a role model, exactly when we really and truly need one.
     Bonnie Tyler sang "Where have all the good men gone.... to fight the rising odds?" Well, they have gone into hedge funds and banks and finance all to gather their rosebuds while they might for to be a public figure is to ask for dirt, to get dirt thrown at you and about you. It is a thankless job to be a public figure and so many of the best amongst us have decided to ignore that pathway thru life and many who have chosen it are not the ones we might have chosen given a choice.
     So where does that leave us? It leaves us with the hope that perhaps some people can grow into their roles, that some people will make a connection to their better side and strive for that higher bar. And we have been rewarded with some who have made that effort and achieved at least part of it but what now?
     Now we truly need a hero. Waking up to find out that the nightmare of a pervert still running for office is still so, waking up to the nightmare that the Cold War has turned HOT and Russia is bringing home all the families of their diplomats abroad - well, what the hey!!! And finding out that the man who has used the media in order to boast and bluster and brag now accuses it of plotting against him - that man who now uses ties with Russia to tamper with our very national elections - well, we need a hero. And what deja vu with terrible new accessories, Russia again the enemy, the instigator and invited into our affairs by a person who should be aiming to protect the country which he begs to lead and yet he does the very opposite. Why? Just to gain power? To satisfy his inner need for validation no matter the cost to everyone else, no matter the fact that the world trembles at the thought, at the horror of him in office?
     Will we get our hero? I think we already have found many a hero in the brave women who have come forth now to bring their tawdry and frightening and demeaning experiences with Trump into the public and let us all know what and who he truly is. I could care less if he were the expert on the future needs of our country - he is not to be trusted, not a man of one of the worst characters ever. And what is the fuss about? It is about the thoughts, the minds, the hearts of those who can support such a filthy man, such a degenerate. The time has come when women have been empowered and the truth about Trump has come out just as it came about with Cosby. And for those hypocrites who still back him, who have stayed or returned because they are worried should he actually win - and just watch the exodus from this country should that G-d forbid happen - where are your souls, your recognition of right and wrong or do you have that same feeling of derision for the rights of women as people, including one's own female relatives!!! There are no exceptions to this kind of thinking and behavior. Be very clear about that.
     So is Hillary Clinton our needed hero? Well, she is needed at present and that is for sure. She is prepared, knowledgeable, determined to forge on despite all odds and obstacles placed in her path and has the political experience to deal with world leaders and brother! do we need that now. Is she perfect? Hell, no. She is a flawed human being but guess what - so are we all! And this new business of hijacking everyone's emails, leaving no privacy at all, where one has to watch every syllable out of a mouth, where one has to realize that the tones of language are missing from emails and so much of the words and meanings can be misconstrued and that is why actions are so important. Trump acted on his basest impulses. He exposes them in every debate, in every speech with his body language matching his verbal language.
     This lack of heroes is exhausting and depressing, discouraging. We all search for one to lead us and yet we come up empty and the very sad thing about all this is that even when one seems to have come out into the public with the right credentials there seems to be a drop off and a forgetting of the original purpose - to serve the public. That is why we have crooked public officials who cannot withstand the various temptations and why we at present have a useless and yet visibly harmful UCO president. Whether or not he actually meant to serve the public here in the Village, that purpose is now gone and has been gone for quite some time. Instead we have a man who insists on retention of power and on the oppression and denigration of those who resist his plans. He has his minions whom he sends out with nasty comments, allowing them to bay and bellow like dogs in a hunt, yet who come home empty for the hunt.
     This election season in particular, but actually during all elections, we must choose carefully and we must help those good people who are still around in public service yet who are struggling against the tide. Vote Clinton and choose carefully down the ballot. Watch for the Trump supporters as for example Brian Mast who still backs Trump and proudly so. Yes, he has bravely served his country in the armed forces, but that does not give him the right to back Trump, or rather he has the right, but must accept the consequences - or change his spots in this area and explain himself.
And here in the Village we must watch carefully re the new bylaws, find some candidates who will stand up to David Israel or get the term limits back or change the whole system with one resident owner one vote installed. There is no excuse why not, other than the hanging on to power, the continued incompetence of our current UCO, the waste of The Rag, the poor contracts and the negligible examination of the true needs of the Village - now and in the future and the safeguarding of the Village from much of what plagues it now and what threatens its future. The first step - retire David Israel and henchmen.
     We need a hero, all of us, but until a true one comes along - if ever- we need to strive for ourselves and emulate the heroic traits found in that missing hero and do the job ourselves. Defeat the nastiness of Trump and the nastiness of David Israel for both have the same tendency to demean people, especially opponents but are certainly not averse to throwing people under the bus. Proof of the nastiness - it did not have to wait for Barbara Cornish to publish something about the loss of Jerry Karpf and for Bob Rivera and Lanny Howe to comment upon it. Where was David here? Human decency demanded that he acknowledge this loss on both a personal and public level and Lanny, perhaps being nicer to Jerry while he was alive would have been more meaningful rather than a few kind words now, lovely as they were. See, I can see and hear the nasty tones and words of David Israel at the DA and the cruel and snide and snarky laughs of the sycophants at these words, never mind how Jerry felt at that moment of public abuse. Some things are excusable and others not. This is not.
     So people, we all need a hero, more than one but while  they are in such short supply, perhaps we can try to be our own heroes and go fight those odds.

HEAR THE VOICES OF THE COUNTRY , OF THE WORLD

     "In order to live in peace, you have to disassemble your heart. You store a lot of bitterness there, a lot of hate. And when there's a lot of hate in your heart, you're unable to forgive someone. But when you rebuild your heart, you can go on, you can give a lot of love."

      So spoke a woman of Columbia after the failed vote to reconcile with FARC after 50 years of war. Well said and a message for us to heed, and perhaps we will be able to rebuild our hearts after this most divisive and hurtful campaign and the ugly realization of what we have come to, how low we have fallen.
     In the meanwhile, there have come to light yet more tapes and revelations re Trump and his sexual deviancy, his position as a sexual predator and perhaps even a pedophile in that he could look  at a ten year old in an elevator and state that in ten years he would sleep with her! Yuch!!! The United States cannot have as its representative to the world, as its leader, a sexual deviant, one who has indeed acted upon his deviancy and in my opinion is the one who belongs in prison, not Clinton whom he threatened publicly in the debate as the first step he would take if _ G-d forbid! - he won. Perfect step for a dictator to take, perfect step for a hater of liberty and civil rights to take, perfect step for one who aims ultimately to destroy our democracy and who knows what else. I can deal with politicians saying one thing and then another. It is part of politicking to state what the audience wants to hear, or at least stress different things, but it is also important to hear the policies, the details, a consistency, an ability to handle oneself under pressure and this is what we have not gotten from Trump, only lies and bluffs and sniffling like a coke addict, and hulking around the stage making weird faces and gestures. 
     Below you will find an editorial endorsing Clinton and a most cogent explanation as to why, breaking tradition by endorsing a candidate, as so many other publications have done this campaign. And this was written before the sexually explicit tapes and accusations were exposed to the public. Imagine what they would have added in to the editorial. Read and think. There comes a point when one simply must hear the truth.


“… And for the sin which we have committed before Thee for allowing our hearts to become hardened.”
Of the long list of breast-beating sins we recite communally on Yom Kippur, this one resonates for us on the eve of the holiest day of the year. In the last few days too many of us read of the latest fatal terror attack in Jerusalem, felt a moment’s regret and then turned the page. We watched a presidential candidate with brutish bravado stalk his opponent on stage, blaming her for his sins, and then heard the pundits say he did relatively well. We continue to tolerate a level of discourse in our society, and within our own community, that seeks to debase and demean those with whom we disagree. Despite the shock, we somehow get used to seeing videos of unarmed blacks being shot by police officers, reinforcing our racial divides.
How is it that our society has reached such a low point? When did we get to this level of insensitivity, even callousness, and how do we improve ourselves and our culture?
On the domestic front, surely the long presidential campaign has lowered the bar for tolerable public discussion. When Donald Trump was one of more than a dozen would-be Republican candidates for the White House, his initial forays into savaging his opponents, calling for a ban on Muslims in the U.S., announcing his intention to build a wall on the Mexican border to keep out the killers and rapists, were met with astonishment. But as the outrageous statements continued—mocking a military hero like John McCain should have been enough to disqualify him among Republicans — Americans became somewhat inured to his behavior. Some wrote him off as a buffoon, more a form of entertainment than a political force. Watching him in debate was like watching a gross reality TV show — who knows what he’ll say next? How can we turn away? The longer he was tolerated, the more difficult it became for Republican leaders to stand up to him. And now, after all the exposed falsehoods, refusal to apologize for outrageous racist and biased statements against minorities and women, after witnessing his lack of discipline, substance and self-control, after seeing him lash out at critics and former allies alike — even his loyal vice presidential candidate — we are faced with a pivotal moment in American history.
Never before has a candidate so ill-equipped for the demands of the Oval Office — in temperament, experience, character, compassion and humility — been so close to its doors. (my highlighting)
By all measures it appears that the large majority of American Jews, liberal and Democratic to begin with, will not vote for him.
Ironically, the one group among us most favorable to Donald Trump is the Orthodox community, known for its piety, modesty in terms of sexual contact and respect for leaders with spiritual and intellectual authority. Yet Trump, who represents the antithesis of those values, is said to be favored by a significant percentage among the Orthodox. How can that be? Some are less pro-Trump than anti-Clinton, deeply distrusting her in general and worried that she will be a continuation of the Obama presidency they opposed, especially its stance on Israel. Trump’s opposition to the Iran nuclear deal gained him support, as has his pledge to back the Netanyahu government fully and move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. But the candidate has offered no new plans to deal with intractable conflicts other than to say “trust me,” tapping into the anger and frustration of dissatisfied voters.
Most seasoned political and strategic experts in Israel are more comfortable with Clinton, who showed strong support for the Jewish state as a U.S. senator, has in-depth knowledge of the region – its leaders and its problems – and is more openly compassionate toward Jerusalem than either Obama or Trump. Experts have always insisted that a strong U.S. means a strong Israel, and they worry that Trump would be a loose cannon whose recklessness could incite even more instability and anti-U.S. attitudes, and violence around the world.
Hillary Clinton is no amateur when it comes to public service. Well before her experience as first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state, she was known for her deep knowledge of issues and empathy for the underdogs of society. She has faced Trump’s torrents of invective, like calling her “the devil” to her face, with self-restraint, dignity and tenacity. She, too, is a flawed politician. But her faults pale in comparison to the consistent boorish behavior and mean-spirited ramblings of Trump, who has proven to be an embarrassment even to Republican leaders.
This newspaper has not endorsed political candidates in the past. But this election is an exception. It’s not just about politics. It’s about character, competence and compassion. It’s about values that are American, and rooted in the Bible: Seeing all men and women as created in the image of God, having empathy for “the other” among us, recognizing the power of community, building bridges rather than walls.
We endorse Hillary Clinton not only because Donald Trump presents a danger to this country but because we believe she shares that biblical vision and strives for those goals. For the past year we have seen a Trump who believes his own lies, whose campaign is based on instilling fear in Americans, doubling down on divisions among us, describing virtually every aspect of society as broken, corrupt, defeated. He is too self-centered to listen to others, see beyond his own interests, or appreciate the need for self-reflection.
In his long career Trump has embodied only the first half of our sage Hillel’s famous adage: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? IfI am only for myself, what am I?”
We deserve more — for ourselves, and for others. We who have allowed our hearts to be hardened to the anguish of a Syrian refugee child, multiplied by the tens of thousands, need to open ourselves up to what we can accomplish as a caring society. Donald Trump is incapable of fulfilling such a vision; Hillary Clinton has the ability and promise to do so. That’s what can continue to make America great.

Write To The Editor

Read more at http://www.thejewishweek.com/editorial-opinion/editorial/clinton-president#MH8ieW34AIPRxDyz.99