THE CALCULUS OF LIFE

     Way back in the Dark Ages when I was in high school, we took three years of math - Algebra, Geometry, and Trig. Those who were nuts, or masochists, or had no other elective that would fit the schedule were stuck in calculus. Shudder!! As of yet, I have found no great big hole in my life that taking calculus would have filled, but perhaps there is an element in calculus that would have helped us all to calculate life these days. (And no, not crazy, just teasing a bit, after all the root is the same.)
      Calculating life  today is a gambler's game, and the odds are constantly changing. Do this. No! Stop!! Do the opposite. Bulletin:forget the whole idea and here is the latest one hot off whatever press just printed it. Buyer beware!
      The main question is how are we to approach life and the major decisions that govern live for the next, oh, I don't know, perhaps a lifetime! Even minor decisions today are rife with danger for who knows who just touched that box of cereal or who coughed particularly forcefully two aisles over and there you are, an opportune home for those danged little droplets.
     Even as restrictions are being loosened and I understand why, though am quite concerned re the consequences, my category of over 65 is still being warned to Stay Away! Stay Home! Continue to shelter in place. So what's a gal to do, how to decide how to weigh the risks, be safe and virus free while still living, partaking of life and seeing those kids?
     Personally, this policy has not truly been so burdensome for us. We are lucky. I have my books, many TV shows Tivo'ed and not yet watched and new streaming ones almost every day - if we had the time! Somehow we have become so busy that recreational time seems to have lost hours daily. Who knew! And despite 52 1/2 years of marriage and five years before that, we have not run out of things to say to each other, so between phones and What's App and Zoom and Facetime and home projects (warning:leave those books alone!) we have most cerainly not been bored or"quarantine fatigued". Thus, no particular hardship other than the shows and movies disappearing, aching arms that miss a little person to hug - and bigger persons as well - some inconveniences and the worst part - the friends and family members who have suffered with hard recoveries or been lost to the virus. Those are holes that will remain unfilled and it seems that everyday we hear of another loss, another death.
     We understand that the economy has been hard hit and we worry for our kids and their jobs. We fear the rising growth of hunger stalking families, the inadequate policy of the government to address that and the rising homelesss issue as people cannot pay rent or mortgages. It is a horrific problem exacerbated by the incompetence of the government, the lack of preparation for something they knew would hit at some pint, and the refusasl to deal with it when it did come a'visitin'! Like an unwelcome guest, it has overstayed its unwelcome drop in to our homes and world, all the while we have fumbled any ideas as to how to deal with it.
     How is one to trust, to have confidence, to believe we have leaders capable of informed decisions and proper use of experts, real experts, when these supposed leaders do the opposite and inspire confusion and a feeling of us wandering somewhere in a desert with no Moses in sight.
       Listen to what Trump says. No, don't, for not a good idea to drink chemicals. He just took back what he said yesterday, said he did not say it, media is Fake, wants a coup, oh, but he did say what he did not but should have; you just missed it. No, that is not the appointee anymore for he was fired for calling out the President or for not finding the miracle cure in the two weeks he has been in office. And remember, most important, this self praised genius , more likely geni -ass, knows nothing and finds fake experts as quickly as he accuses the Fake News of miscounting his lies and exaggerations!! Remember - he takes no responsibility for anything that has gone wrong or will go wrong or is in the process of going wrong, but will use the stimulus checks as one huge tax payer financed campaign ad. Such a genius! Such an immoral man!
     We have passed the 60,000 number of dead, his upper limit, surpassed the dead of Vietnam. We expect an upsurge in the ailing and the dead as states open up in a confused and confusing manner and no one seems to be coordinating this whole mess, once again leaving us in that murky soup without a sieve nor a ladle.
     The lawmakers are busy, yes, making trades in their stock accounts, even as the rest of us are on the roller coaster without the same information! The Senate and the chinless, gutless wonder, McConnell, wants to return so they can push through more unqualified judges to continue making a disastrous shamble for decades to come of our federal judicial system and to confirm more know nothings for positions in the government. All the better for some more wolves to bite us! 
   Not sure of that? Well, pay some attention to foreign policy and what is going on there, with rising tensions and chicken games in the South Sea with China, playing hide and seek with North Korea, heating up the Cold war once again with Russia, the greatest deal on earth went fffttt! We have lost our allies one after the other as we alienate them beyond any point or possiblity of acceptance and understanding, so here we are, leaderless, fumbling around at the wrong time.
    Back at the ranch the Demented One is fuming at his inner polls showing him losing to Biden. (Please, G-d, may that remain the truth!) What is the answer? His allies try to shut him up as every time he opens it, nonsense and damage come pouring out. Even as they keep trying to push a dangerous incompetent upon us, all the better for them to enrich their bottom line and hold on to their power.
    And yet another brilliant idea. Raise a sexual assault claim against Biden. Yes, he is a touchy feely person, right out to the old school, a custom which is not acceptable today. But, a great big but - one assault claim against dozens of witnessed ones against Trump who has openly stated his firm self beliefs and actions about how he mistreated women and thinks he is so clever for all that!!
     Yes, we need to address this issue, particularly with all pols, with colleges, with employers of women - and vulnerable men - and children. Yes, we need to improve ourselves, no secret about that. But we also need to pay attention to real issues of life that affect us existentially right NOW! Include sexual policy changes but do not demean its seriousness by made up claims or ridiculous ideas as the dirty one, the chief pervert, continues on in office,proud of once again getting away and off scot free even as he jumps on someone else. Tarring the other with his own tar.
     We have certainly failed this course of calculus. We have miscounted, wrongly added and subtracted, divided and multiplied with false numbers, projected incorrect answers and failed the adjunct course in humanity and concern for others. Would 12th  grade calculus have helped us in our calculations throughout our lives? Probably not, right? So where did we go wrong and why do we continue to go wrong? Sigh....I hate math.
     All we can do in the meanwhile is love each other, watch out for each other, run those dangerous imposters of governmental skills right out of office, support honesty and virtue, humane policies, a restoration of safety regulations, a proactive government with an eye to past misdeeds and  miscalculations, and a strict policy towards avoiding future miscalculations.
     We need to calculate properly and correctly for the future generations and allow our elderly population out of lockdown again. We need to be well, to stay safe. Always.

PERIOD.

     A little mark, a dot, on a piece of paper. A word used for and with emphasis, making a point. It can be written or oral, but this little dot or its name carries a big punch.
     Yesterday and this  morning I  saw that concept of 'period' used several times. A sentence was broken into single words, each having a period after it. The word period was used by De Blasio to make a point, that mass funerals are not allowed period. His point? That lives needed to be saved and that took precedence over all else. Period.
     The word period also means a segment of time, from that defining a time in a classroom to the other end, a segment, an era, of time in history and what makes it special - or not. Yesterday I had a day off, a period of time in which I was absorbed in observing two special days, one of mourning, and one of joy that sent a firm message to the world.
      Immediately after Passover there is a period of time during which the emotions of Israelis, of Jews, all around the globe, bounce from one extreme to another. First there is Yom Hashoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day, on the date that Israel set for us to mourn our destroyed, a loss for all time, a significant and telling piece of history covered in blood, a time of despair and horror beyond the power of the most descriptive of words, yet also a message, strangely enough, of hope. Period.
     Immediately upon its heels, there is day of grief beyond description, for it is a loss that is not from the past, but from the present and the future as well, as the lives of so many young men and women, in the prime of life, a whole life ahead of them, their futures ripped out by its roots, an echo of the poison that served as the underlying reasoning for the Holocaust and the continuing anti Semitism, anti Zionism that are both the same thing. 
      It is a day of tears, a day of sirens that rip into the soul of the nation as we mark yet another slaughter of Jews, for that is what it is. It is the determination of the world to see that Jews be wiped out. All through history there has been one attack after another, law after law passed to destroy the possibility of life of any value for Jewry. Forced conversions, burnings, slaughter by means most horrible, blamed for being the ruination of the world, conspiring against it, and killed for any reason - or none at all -. Period.
     But at the end of the day, as sunset approaches, there is a gradual lightening of the mood, and the music on the radio begins a transition from that of mourning and grief to something else. Suddenly, there is the sound of the shofar, the ram's horn, ringing out throughout the land. And the joy begins. The promises of Jews to themselves, the promises of the Lord Above brought to life once again. It is Yom Haatzmaut - Israel Independence Day, not a day of shopping, but a day of joy, of family, of patriotism, an in your face declaration to the world, to enemies and supposed friends, that we are here. Period. We will always be here. Period.
     And we remember. Even in the midst of joy we remember the cost, the pain, the loss. Many of us have gone deep into our family history. Who were our ancestors and where did they live? Where had they gone when exiled from one country. One point we all have in common? Somewhere along the line we all suffered losses, had family blood spilled, women raped, small children spitted on bayonets, for such is the horror found in anti Semitism. As for me, I found family, found my namesake, a long desired and hard search and take pride that I am 100% Jewish, knowing that throughout a long and hard, often merciless existence, the chain of my family has never been broken. It gives comfort to one to have that knowledge of belonging, to know that history, as bad as it has been shown to be, that history makes that point - we are here. 
     We are here. Despite the efforts of huge empires, we are here. Period. Despite the laws, the persecution, the terrible odds against us, we are here. Period. We are here and no nasty mouths who belong in the prehistoric time of history, no creep whose dream is to kill, no hatred will defeat us. We are here. Period. We will mourn as we must, but we will also rejoice. That is our life history. We know it and despite the fact that we have made a comfortable home here in America, and are proud Americans, there is always that niggling feeling, that percentage of insecurity, despite all that we have given to the world and to this country and other countries where we also live.
     Think times have changed? Not really. The world is engulfed by a modern plague. Among those blamed for it, the blaming of the Jews is right up front. It seems that we Jews have nothing else to do but plot and plan, come up with nefarious deeds, even as we lose our people too, to the same wars and disease. But hatred, irrational and poisonous, continues to exist. Why? There is no reasoning, no rational explanation for an irrational hatred. It is unexplainable. Period. Trying to give it reasons is simply legitimizing it and that goes for all hatred of 'others'.
     The point of this piece is to explain some of the pain that Jewry has felt over the generations, its losses not confined to quality of life, but to life, to existence at all. It is perhaps to have people understand that the undertone comments by the legendary office water cooler are still being made. The physical attacks upon them here, in Israel, and in countries round the world are still taking place, even growing in these troubled times. The hatred that is found in the term DWB - driving while black - is not unique to people of color. 
     Hatred is rampant. It is growing amidst encouraging words and deeds, fostered by people who should know better. It is found in major newspapers in cartoons, and words, by people who should - and do - know better but choose to allow it.
     Hatred must be fought. It must be defeated. When will this happen? When people realize that color, skin tone, religion, whatever flimsy excuse is used as a linchpin for hate, nothing matters for underneath it all it is skin that covers us all. It is the same construction of organs. It is the same blood that runs through the veins and arteries. It is the same desire that we all have - to live a good life, help others, love our families and not be hurt or hurt others, and see a future for our children. Period. Those who wish otherwise, well, those are the twisted leaders and the weak kneed followers who need to be shown the truth. When? I wish I knew, I really do.
     In the meanwhile, we mourn and rejoice. As do other nations in their times during the year. And we wonder, as we laugh and cry at the same time. When will this stop? When will there be no more constant plans to get rid of us, to wipe us out? When will people of hate learn from history, understand that WE. ARE. HERE. Here we will remain. And flourish. And help build a better world. Period. Period. Period.
       Am Yisroel Chai. The nation of Israel lives.
  And will continue to live, please G-d, for all time.  In the meanwhile, as do all others, we will attempt to be well, stay well - and alive - and be safe. And we wish and hope that sentiment for the entire beleaguered world. May all hate be vanquished and may we all know the joy without the sorrow.   PERIOD!

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO......

     ......kill or be killed? To sit in confusion as to exactly what do new regulations and "opening" really mean? To feel like that kid in the classroom who always has a question or a hundred re the new assignment? To feel grateful and oh so appreciative when the death figure is casually ramped up to 70,000 and we should feel grateful that it is not 2.2 million? To wonder if shortages will continue? To wonder more worryingly about the changes in our daily lives now and how much trust we have lost in our governments as politics played life and death games - with us as the pieces? To wonder at G-d's mighty powers to so  seemingly have invested such a multitude of talent in Jared and aren't we lucky he is using them so 'unselfishly and competently' for us? (LOL)
     So the leader of the lockdown protesters in North Carolina has an asymptomatic case of the virus. Serves her right! And should it go symptomatic will she expect to be cared for, isolated for her safety and for those of the health care workers? Or will she continue to demand that she is free to go kill people as she walks among them? Contagious.
     Now, about those evidently negligible 70,000 deaths that the 'genius' now predicts. Sure, it is great that we hopefully will not hit the larger numbers into the millions, but trust me, each and every death is too much. He sits there in the WH, protected, taking tests at least twice a week, all supplies brought to him, as he so devotedly pays attention all day long to the TV and tweets away his truly inane statements and babyish nicknames for any and all opponents. Like Alfred E. Neuman, he follows the mantra of "What, me worry?" and why not, as he openly states he "takes no responsibility", that wonderful leader of ours and pays no attention to daily briefings that openly warned him time and time again about the pandemic upon us, all the way back in January when he sat on his thumb and rotated.
     In the meanwhile, we are left to wonder, with no sure answers, as to exactly what the easing of restrictions means. Can we now have picnics in the park, close to each other? Do we need to mask up for all outdoor activities? Will the airlines supply the masks they are beginning to require? Are we allowed to eat in the restaurants and is it safe? If so why are some remaining closed or only delivering? Do the others have some magic potion that makes them safer, like perhaps injections of cleaning agents!! And when, oh when, will the theaters and the movies reopen?
     And what about the right to pursue life and happiness? Will we get our jobs back? When? When? Will grandparents be able to hug their little ones again, not virtually, but in reality, getting those kisses, holding hands? What about the resurgence predicted in the winter, along with the flu? Are plans being made to produce and distribute the vaccine whenever it arrives? And fairly? Are plans, realistic plans, being drawn up to face and combat the next pandemic because it is on the way?
      An added treat - you now have the right to listen as the Trump campaign gets really down in the dirt as the original pervert, the one who talks of how he assaulted women, boasts of it, demeaned them, hints that Biden did the same. Better watch out, as dirt thrown into the wind often blows back on that thrower. Be warned. Redrum! 
    We have murdered so much of our former lives, accepted so much demeaning and disgusting behavior, ignored and shrugged shoulders at incompetence, at a TV addict as President, and you, we, I, all have the right to wonder where and when this stops, how much damage will we have to fix? As for the return of a functioning economy, well, I would leave that to the experts, but they all seem to have suffered bus accidents, meeting wheels as those wheels run right over them! Our new 'experts' have never met a ridiculous plan they do not love and the few experts still remaining, for however much time they have, have managed any kind of success only after a hard slog against the current of the Demented One.
      So, you have the right to worry, to question, to fret, to long for life as it was, to sit with your family again, to fly there in peace, to hope again.
For sure, you have the right to demand answers about the poor or not even there planning re pandemics, why the president, even after briefings, closed the one office meant to deal with and plan for it? Because he is an idiot? Yes, but it is so much more than that. When supposedly intelligent people actually twist themselves into pretzels trying to write off his suggestion of poisonous and homicidal injections, then what, do we give up? Do we throw our hands up in the air and give in to despair?
     No! We have the right to a better life. We have a right to want to have confidence in our leaders, be assured that they at least have a modicum of intelligence, enough to know that they need to hear their experts, need to pay attention, and need to turn off that FOX station!!
     For sure we have the right to demand that voting be free of tampering and partisan wrestling. We have the right to get out there and vote. Vote to change the WH. Vote to change the composition of the Senate. Vote the hypocrites out, the wimps with no cojones, with the lack of morals or an inner constitution to combat the spoiler in their midst, the one that has perverted a once elegant and American valued party.
     Most of all, first of all and last of all, you, we, I, have the right to expect the government at all levels to put the constituents first, to protect them, to insure their safety as best it can be done. We have the right to throw them out when they are less than satisfactory. We have the right to expect a fair administration that appoints proper, qualified judges, that our legislative and judicial branches will not collude with the executive branch against the people.
      And we have the right to be well, to be safe, to be able to go back to the simple ciao, or adieu, of bye for now, of see ya later, of ta ta, and not the wish for all to be safe! Think about it. Think abut how quickly  it became part of everyday life. Be well. Stay safe. Remember, that mantra also has meaning and advice for the rest of our lives, especially in the wise choosing of leaders.
      Be safe and do well in our choices.

THE HUMAN FACTOR

     It really is quite simple. People like to know that the person who is in charge is not an automaton nor an unfeeling damaged being. Leaders are often chosen for this very reason, for their likeability factor, for their empathy, for that human factor. Shoes must be able to be borrowed, for one to walk in the shoes of another for at least several miles. Then, and only then, can one understand the issues, the feelings, the needs of the other. It is the human factor.
      People will accept not such a clever person for a leader if that person has that empathy. They do not need a genius, for those are available for the hiring, even though one could say that it might take a perverted kind of 'genius' to score perfect tens on hiring or relying on non experts who persist in spoiling the broth for the rest of us.
     The human factor is very much in question these days and it is about time. Oh, there have been mutterings. There has been talk. There have been those who have openly pointed out the issues, the severe lack of that factor, of empathy, of humanity, but it seems that not until now has the public, the media, been emboldened enough to speak openly about this issue.
    We could see the fraying of the relationship between the President and the media, those whose job is to present him, his words and deeds to the public. The extreme outliers received credentials and the mainstream ones were sidelined and insulted. They have taken to arguing with him aloud, in public, at the so called briefings that are rallies in not such clever disguise as he childishly wants, needs, to move these  reporters far away from him. But now, well, now, he has breached the walls of credibility, to the point that he has endangered the lives of those who remain deluded by him, who follow his words with the devotion of pets and masters, who despite their brains refuse to believe he is that much of an unfeeling idiot, and continue to write excuse notes to the public for his misspeaking.
     Self praise is not worth much. The self praiser garners a well deserved reputation as a great man in his own mind and not really in the minds of others, particularly those who follow along behind him, trying to keep him on that child leash/leader, who have to clean up his messes, so unseemly in their public aspects and forums.
      Now, now I have hope Now maybe there are enough voices to counter his rabid public performances, his rallies, his mob rallies, his rousing them to a pitch and fever almost comparable to a lynch mob. Now maybe people will pay attention to his words, be they praise for monsters, or self praise for himself, statements that flaunt his stupidity and/or dementia, and highlight his severe lack of care and compassion for any other than himself and perhaps those of his family
     So this 'stable genius', this dangerous know nothing who suggested and forced the use of anti malarial drugs that can cause deaths - and did - who made nonsensical statements about the pandemic - that is when he finally deigned to pay attention to it - has now breached a red line so loud, so blaring that it should frighten all.
     His latest gaffe is frightening. The last people who thought it a wonderful idea to inject cleansing fluid and chemicals into people were - wait for it... the Nazis, among whom Mengele and the entire medical corps - a misnomer if ever I saw one - stand out. So perhaps we should just follow his suggestion as it appears that people were willing to do this, so much so that governmental officials and medical personnel had to warn against this in public announcements. 
     This is more than sad. This isdangerous. That a person, a presumed leader, should suggest such a dangerously inappropriate idea, that so many would believe it, that so many experts have either been discarded along the way or caved to pressure and fear of and by this man that they forgot their oaths, their true knowledge, and allowed him to continue on in public office, claiming that he is indeed dressed in beautiful clothing, well, we need a change. Immediately, if not sooner.
     I know that the Devil's Spawn, that unmoving, robot who stands  alongside as his master speaks, might not be any better, but at least he has not spoken words and suggested actions reminiscent of monsters. Perhaps 'Mother" would allow him to display some emotion, even a smile, maybe?
     Truly, think about it, for this is beyond serious. Bad enough that Trump has no brains, due to original lack or increasing dementia, but now he has descended to the point where he believes in outloud praise for dangerous actions, for truly bad 'science', that type of science practiced by monsters in human form.
     To have this non feeling, brain damaged, irrational and spoiled bullying child as the head of government, as he surely takes us down some dangerous path, as rumors of his refusal to accept the results of the future election should he lose - and oh please, Lord, let him lose big time! His deconstructing all the safety regulations, his shredding of the social safety net, his sheer incompetence exactly when the country and the world need a leader of the most powerful country in the world to step up to the plate rather than drag in his raggedy hems closer and closer to himself as his paranoia grows - all this is due in large part to the lack of the human factor in his emotional makeup.
      There is no compassion within him for those who have suffered from this virus or who have lost loved ones to it. There is no sympathy for the little guys whose businesses have gone under, who need those loans, even as he and his facilitated big business getting the very same funds meant for the little dudes and dudettes. The human factor? Gone, if it ever was there in the first place. And certainly his murderous suggestion certainly ranks up there along with The Rev. Jones and his poison Kool - Aid, with the insane experiments of cleaning agent injections into humans by the Nazis.
     I have said it before and say it again, more sure than ever. The man is a clear and present danger to the nation and using the paths and directions of the Constitution, should be removed from office, even if it is for only the remaining months and certainly should be precluded from running again. It is common sense. It is safety. It is the human factor.
     In the meanwhile, despite, or in spite, of his nasty statements and behavior, think, be well, stay safe.





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LOVE/HATE WHICH WILL IT BE?

     What is love? What is hate? How do we feel those emotions or words? Are we doing it right, correct in our understanding of what they are or are we mistaken or misusing them? Is love that which we say when we looove ice cream or hate that which we say, oh, about broccoli? Not really, for we have debased the true meaning of these titles, of these emotions and the actions they engender.
     A child in a novel anwered his younger brother's question as to what is love and what is hate. This, as they desperately tried to survive in an ugly world full of that hate, which wanted to kill them, yet survived through the sparks of love by the actions of people. He defined love as that which will allow you to forgive what your loved one has done, wish only the good for them while hate is that which will never allow you to believe in others, to trust in others, even if they are trying to help you. When the world is populated with more people who hate than people who love, then we will have wars and that leads to the worst in mankind.
     Love is the feeling that will give a powerful payback of warmth, of feeling worthwhile. Hate will give one a temproarary feeling of power, of towering over the 'other' but really how longlasting is that? The followers of hate are always angry, always jarring in their behavior, for they have made themselves the others. Even if they have power for a while their own hatred brings about their downfall.
     Hannah Arendt said that it is easier to act during times of tyranny than to think. Yes, actions can make one rise to the ranks of the elite, the world of the haters, where one cannot ever be sure of survival. Or one can think, what to do, how to act, how to bring back love and peace to the nation and the world. 
     When hate inevitably begins to fail, notice how there are frantic efforts to shift blame onto others. Notice the scurrying for survival, or the excuses somehow now flowing from those 'elite' haters. Hate is easy to do with temporary benefits, harsh benefits that harm others, while love consists of hard work, of temporary setbacks, but it is that emotion that makes the world a better place, that allows us to progress.
     That being said, how do we know what to do? I believe in the bottom line theory of life. If what you do does not make you happy, especially not just for the moment, then what does your bottom line gain? Actually, nothing. But if you feel good about it, took the time to do the right thing, gave to others, then your bottom line will fall right into the profitable category. 
     No, I am not a Pollyanna. Yes, I have had feelings of hatred before and still maintain that feeling for some people whom I believe are beyond redemption. I am not proud of it, nor does it give me pleasure. It just has me shouting at TV screens and at the papers and media.The world, the humans within it, are not perfect. It is not Eden and even there, the ugly head of evil and hate, of jealousy, made an appearance.
      Am I old enough to know better? Yes, I know that sometimes we people live on illusions and false hopes, plans that do not come to fruition, but I am also old enough to know that what has gone before is not workable, not in any permanent manner. Hate breaks things. It kills people, creates a world where one values a body count of the enemy . Actually, we, the people, are the enemy when we persist in acknowledging hateful behavior, allow filthy and heartbreaking words of hate, pass over the faces of hurt and incomprehension of children who do not understand why they are hated, even by people they do not know.
     One does not have to love one another as if they are as full blooded family members but they need to be recognized as equal members of the family of man. If we do not do that, then we fail in our purpose on this earth and have the deaths of many on our heads even if we did not pull that trigger. That is what hate does. One cannot escape that definite conclusion and consequence.
     There is a Latin phrase, thebeginning of which we all know - "Carpe diem" but we never state the rest. "...quam minimum creda postera". Seize the day, yes, but not for eating and drinking but for good deeds. Trust not the future, for it is sometimes not there. Do not waste the time you have on earth, Exploit every minute in a good way, with the powerful emotion and consequent behavior and rewards of love.
     In this time of plague, of warfare all over the globe, of threatening words between countries rather than cooperation, of leaders who refuse responsibility even as they make terrible and harmful decisions, as words of hate are bandied about, what have we gained but for a realization that if we do not change, if we do not improve, we will continue on in this world until our hatred destroys it. Think what simple dialing down on hate can do and a turning up of the dial, slowly, on love, of recognition of our equal humanity, of no privileges either way or any way, just all people, what a better world we could have. Difficult? Oh, yes. Impossible - we can but try and every step forward is a gift to humanity.
   In this time we need to respect others and realize that our missteps, our selfishness, will affect others as well. We all need to be safe, to be well, and it all flows around and through all. Think about what you do. Clamp down on those negative emotions. Look for the common points, the meshing of sets if you will. That is the only way we will continue to
    BE SAFE     BE WELL.

IS IT? OH YES IT IS!

     Another. Yet another. And another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Anither. Another.
     What is that? That is what happened yesterday afternoon as we watched over Zoom, along with over 200 others, the cars drive through the roads of the cemetery to the grave site. Over and over we passed groupings of cars parked and pulled alongside. We saw small groupings of people  at the graves. Not for one funeral. Not for one death. For so many and understand that image, those groupings, are multiplied literally tenfold at the various cemeteries of not only the metropolitan area, but all over the country and the globe, at least where funerals can still take place.
     Contrast that to the idiots who get in their cars - and why is that? Afraid of a little fake virus, are you? So they get in their cars, honk and shout for all they are worth, screaming to open the economic gates, the floods of sick that will result not worth mentioning according to their twisted and little minds. But here is one person's answer to them.  "A lot of the top comments we got were about us being fake nurses, there was a huge majority of them that still believe this virus is fake, that it's a hoax and not real at all. They were convinced that we're fake nurses and that's why we weren't talking."
     That is a hero. All those who fight all day long to save the dying and then protest the dangerous protesters - they are the heroes we need to celebrate. They are the ones whose voices and experience we need to heed. That is, if we are interested at all to stop this plague that is decimating countries, wiping out hundreds of thousands, with no end in sight despite some statements of maybe, maybe, it will begin to lessen. But in the meanwhile, we are hearing that social distancing will continue for months, and our lives will be marked by a huge divide - the Before and After of this pandemic.
   Yet from the ranks of the deluded, those who follow Trump et al and his most favorite inexpert 'experts', we get that fake business despite the truth. We are told that it is not real, the virus is a fake, no one is dying, a hoax and a plan, a conspiracy of some kind of weird meshing of the Chinese, WHO, North Korea, the Democratic Party, deep state adherents, Jews, anything and everything to deny the fact that it is our failed leaders who should actually be brought up on charges of involuntary manslaughter due to their inaction and denial, denial, denial.
     As the Germans were forced to walk through the camps where they slaughtered so many - Jews, political prisoners, homosexuals, Romanys, Jehovah's Witnesses, whomever they disliked - so too should we make these hugely and dangerously inept attend a different cemetery every day, dig a shovel in the piled up earth, hear and see the prayers, the cries, the tears. They certainly appear to be deaf to them right now, so let us shove these awful facts and pictures of the truth, down their miserable eyes and throats.
      How are we to deal with this when the idiot tells Kemp it is okay to open up - tatoo parlors, of course, for how is one to forgo a sleeve for that arm? How is one to go any longer without getting that strike three times in a row or manicure those nails with yet another color design? Then, when the noise rises against this, suddenly the liar denies his approval and throws Kemp under the bus, not that he does not deserve it, but still.
    And what are we to believe when we are warned that Trump will try to postpone the election for he will not remain in office any other way. Think it is crazy, jumping the shark? Think again, for how many times has this man and his fans mentioned that he has total authority, full power and control, the master of it all. How many times do we need to hear he is a wartime president so perhaps now he will add that we need martial law and no elections at the moment. How many times has he flouted the law, both before and after election? The dictator at heart taking the opportunity to be the dictator in fact? 
     Oh yes. Not far fetched at all. So deeply are we split. So deeply have we lost our bearings. So dangerously have we allowed this to develop, allowed this man to remain in office as his party that he took over, the GOP, backed him up on spending, on rollback of regultions meant to protect us, on appointments of disgracefully unqualified judges, of interference with the Armed Services as they applied discipline where it did not belong and allowed war criminals to escape punishment. His dangerously inept behavior, his mad tactics and remarks, his inability to speak in any form of intelligent sentences and messages. Think about it. Worry indeed.
     This poisonous atmosphere has wrapped itself around every level of government. We have it here in Florida with moronic statements that no one under 25 dies from the virus. Please send that message to those mourning their under 25year old loved ones who have died. An illusion? Don't think so!! Not a fake virus at all.
     Our Village is not immune to this hateful and evasive atmosphere and governmental mismanagement. Tempers are hot and well they should be, but we need to bank these fires a bit if we are to be able to see these problems through to full resolution in any fair and productive manner. David insists that he is the local king, a Boss of the Village in some form. He is used to uncontrolled power, having imposed his plans and behaviors on the Village. He brought us to one step from bankruptcy and only the advice of Dorothy Tetro pulled his nuts out of the fire and that would have been ours as well.
      But finally, people began to realize the truth. He fought that and still fights that and was elected  not by very much this time around. Losing his zombie voters perhaps as they age out of this world? Finally alienating his former supporters? But tempers are high and rising, so some fierce, strong, angry words are used. Now, this man who spoke in so demeaning language of opponents, is running around angry that people are sending those sentiments and words back at him. He forgets that he is the one who instigated this behavior, who brought it into fruition in the Village race. I know, for I was his target in one election and received worse than his alleged letter from a resident. I was cursed, told to die, along with family members and friends, threatened, 'informed' upon to governmental bodies in the hope of destroying me totally, and any publicity I had, but that was okay, for he was the disher out, he and his buddies. Now the shoe is on the other foot. First Greenbriar finally threw him out of office and now the impatience to throw him out of the office of the President of UCO. Good idea,  but it needs to be done right. We are better than that.
     In the meanwhile we must keep the rhetoric somewhat tamed, force the talking rather than the fighting, gather signatures, though they have made that harder, gather proof of fiduciary carelessness, of refusasl to run UCO as it should be, of his irregular separation of those he dislikes from the facts and figures they need to do their job, to stop intimidating along with the snarky comments muttered sotto voce up at the table on stage and in the UCO office.
      Will that happen? I hope so, just as I hope that Trump gets his major slap in the face and is ousted by the election, by common sense and powerful needs that we have here in this country. I hope that we will have victories here as well. In the meanwhile, David, suck it up, be a big boy, a grownup, and try your best to handle the same crap you threw and are still throwing at others. Be a mensch and try the other way, talking, quietly, conversing as adults of even tempers, compromise, and place this Village, the residents and their needs at the forefront of it all. Cut down the ego a tad, yes? That might help.
     We are all so angry, so frightened these days that we forget that the proper way is there and we just need to find our way back to it. We need to stop being so selfish, so self focused. We need to remember that we are all in the same boat, that one leak or two can and will sink us all.
      Let us all dial back the rhetoric, obey the rules meant for us all. Set up fair play, demand the truth from all those in office, elected or appointed, stop the government run by intimidation for certainly it is surely out of place here inAmerica. Speak strongly, but fairly, be open to righteous compromise that will work to the benefit of all residents in this country, state and Village. It can be done. We just have to work harder, adjust to new parameters and get the job done.
     In the meanwhile, friends, do the right thing. Protect yourself and your loved ones, even the person on line in front of you for we are all in this together. Be well. Act safe, be safe and hope and pray that we get through this maelstrom quickly and safely.
     It is real. It is horrendous. There are so many dead and gravely ill. Be smart. Think. Behave. 
Be well. Be safe. The alternative is not one we want.

IN THE KITCHEN

     Many people have taken to the kitchen these days, trying out new recipes, cooking for neighbors who need help, anything to pass the time in a productive manner. One of the items which seems to be prominent in the national kitchen is alphabet soup, along with a blend of numbers. The people who presume to know much, but actually know very little, are so busy trying to think of wonderful names for their programs that nothing gets done in reality. Grandiose multi word programs are substituted for actual plans, detailed plans, and all we seem to get out of it are the acronyms of these named programs, and more inserts into our alphabet soup. Perhaps this is so the citizens of America could spend more time playing with the numbers and letters, stalling the yawning absence of purpose in their daily lives.
     An interesting turn in our soup's letters show a continued overbalance of either a D or an R and these letters have become hot collectibles with supporters shouting and ranting and waving arms, so much so that real talk, real plans, real truths and facts are covered over with these letters. An interesting aspect to these two competing letters is that the R gatherers seem to support big business and quick and dangerous reopenings, while the D fans seem to favor slower paces, more surety of safety and trying to plan for a possible, no, probable, return of another virus wave in the winter - or sooner - depending on how we reopen, test, and develop a vaccine.
     There are so many letters in this soup that we lose track of what they are. Economics now gets bogged down in a surplus of V and W or even L. These stand for the recovery - or not - of the economy . The only thing safe to say here with sureness is that it is going to be ugly, letters with poor structure predominating before we get to the better letters of economics. In the meanwhile, perhaps our new nation of chefs can try to figure out better use of the alphabet and numbers.
     Right now the numbers are frightening, even more so than the letters. 88% of COVID sufferers on ventilators die. The numbers seem to combine themselves into huge multi numbered figures. Each figure scaring the pants off of us and causing us to spill the cooking soup. Future number estimates of the human death toll during a second virus wave and even a third are horrendous, and trying to walk these words back under  pressure from that so sensitive man at the WH is utterly useless. Once words are out they really cannot disappear so easily. Their imprint on the memory of so many, the shadows they cast even in a gloomy, uncertain world remain, etched into the national memory bank.
     This alphabet soup, rich with letters and numbers, albeit many frightening or useless, has become the national dish of America. Some, however, who should know better, are spilling that soup, pouring boiling water over deep wounds that are already there, reopening those wounds that were beginning to heal somewhat. Our cooks are ruining the broth. In fact, it appears that many of these cooks are using the loss of smell and taste as aids in their miscooked soup.
     In the meanwhile, some cooks, dirty to the core, are filling some of the soups with welcoming rich additions as they favor these people. Big business has horned in on the soup bowls of the small businesses, taking the money meant for them - and even Trump companies are trying their best to get in on the party. This, as the people who need this soup, need it to be filled properly, productively, are losing hope, denied full bowls,  denied jobs, as a record 26.2 million people - so far- applied for unemployment, 25 million alone added in April. It is expected that any wrong turns with the vats of soup will cause bad letter recovery setups and double digit numbers of unemployed will persist even into December.
     Back at the ranch, I decided to take a chance and tune in on one of the daily rally broadcasts produced by Trump. Full disclosure - that was a dumb move. It took no longer than three seconds and I was shouting at the man on the screen, nauseated more and more by his blatant lies, one after the other, by his self praise, by his pushing to reopen states, for truly, how long should we deny people access to tattoo parlors or "essential" activities on a beach, or feed the need to have nails done in a most unsanitary environment, one quite difficult to even picture as opened with any way to keep social distancing going. Ten foot files maybe? Ditto for nail polish brushes. As for the soaking basin for feet- well, you figure it out. In the interim,, the soup is growing ever more rancid as the other side of that man's mouth speaks and says that we should take it easy. "It's just too soon. I think it's too soon," Trump said. "They can wait a little bit longer, just a little bit - not much. Because safety has to predominate. We have to have that."  Have the cake and eat it too? Liar, liar, pants on major fire!Treating people with contempt as if they have no brains at all, will swallow all the lies, all the contradictions, believe in the Big Lie, taught by its master, Hitler? Fine people over there, ya know! Even as the man keeps harping on immigrants all the while the needs of the nation, the true letters and numbers, are not forthcoming. A truly non nourishing soup, even a harmful one.
     Pressure mounting. Head pounding. So, to a different arena. How is the alphabet soup here in the Village. The same. It appears that nothing changes. No one is willing to give an inch. No one can even sit still long enough to hear some concessions, some ideas, some path to compromise and better service for our Village. Thus the Village residents continue to suffer from poor service or none at all.
     Need an example, one where there is both room and need for compromise rather than a stirring up of the dregs of that vat of soup. No one is getting nourished here. The WPRF facilities are closed. No pools. No clubhouse. No clubs. No Village library. No shows. No movies. Only walks around the perimeter for amusement and exercise. It is tough, especially when these soup nourishments were an important part as to why we bought here. So now, nothing. Other places that closed have refunded dues and are not taking any more till reopening, whenever that might be. 
     So yes, there definitely should be some kind of a refund, not a continued demand for full payment for non service. Yet, we must be fair. The buildings are being scrubbed within an inch of their lives. The cleaners are working, The plants, the pools, the courts, must be inspected and maintained and I hope they are.This takes money. It is okay to use the proposed partial payment for that purpose. Keep the soup nourishing, yet not overrich. Better for the digestion. Fair to all sides of the matter. Show the maintenance taking place.
    Yet there is no talk, no reasoning on demands. They are sticking to the position without compromising, that being deemed off the table. Why is this? Why can we not finally be smart about this and rather than be enemies, work together for the betterment of the Village, for better servicing of the needs of the residents, for a better soup. No one needs to be making stone soup!
     Too many chefs around these days? Perhaps. Or is it that the cooks, the chefs, the professionals and the amateurs, are neither hearing nor listening to each other, so stuck in the mud of their misbegotten ways are they that the soup continues to deteriorate and the people grow hungrier and hungrier. Nothing positive. No forward movement.
       This has to stop. It must, if we are to work together, both on the national level and right here in our wonderful Village. Nothing ever comes out of strife that remains good for years to come; the same old issues reappear, perhaps a tad changed, different vats, differing letters and numbers, but essentially the same. If we were to work together, to unite rather than to divide, we would get somewhere, a far more positive and responsive state of being.
      Most important of all, we could be living in a world, in a country, where there would be no need to say at a close of conversation - Be Well. Be safe. Think about that and think back to early Feb., when our leaders were negligent in heeding the warnings, how quickly that became the standard. No more simple bye-bye or goodbye, or see ya or whatever. In the meanwhile, till life changes, till the vat gets washed well and the soup really becomes more like a broth or stew, nourishing, fair, until then - Be well and Stay safe.

THE TRUTH OF THE MEANING

     First it was this weird virus scything down the people of China. It was far away, so a curiousity it became for all of us seemingly outside the epicenter, distance keeping us safe. But distances grew less and less as the world truly demonstrated how small and how intertwined we all are. Truly, the butterfly and the hurricane theory, and in a deadly manner, an attack on our very lives, even as we faced it with little preparation, little acknowledgement, denial, denial and more denials, and a confused effort finally emerging where politics played a deadly life and death game on us. We were as dust in the wind as the deadly virus grew ever closer and closer.
       Then it hit us here at home. We had frantic travelers overseas trying to get home as borders were locked down, as if closed borders would stop this microscopic enemy. It was here, behind the front lines, and we were weaponless, or using antiquated ideas and equipment - if we even had any. The public roiled and boiled with both too much misinformation and too little truth.
     It did not seem real at first. The idea of putting on masks, gloving up, learning to obsess over washing hands and how to wash, the not so welcome policy of isolation, ripping families apart just when they are needed, when unity and love is so important. Grandparents wondering if they will ever be able to hug their little ones again, even as the 'little' ones lose their jobs, as retirement funds begin to flow outwards to help children and grandchildren who lost jobs but the mortgage, the bills were still there. It is so real yet so unreal at the same time.
     Living in this world became very difficult. Even as the nation was immersed in this life and death struggle, politics inserted its ugly head once again. Those who blindly followed Trump resisted social isolation efforts, have defied them as they grow in time, and now 'rebel', chanting "Give me liberty or give me death" as they protest rules that have saved their lives andwill continue to do so. 
     Republican governors are opening up states and the morons flock to the beaches, thinking they are invulnerable. Then we will be treating them for their sins, and personally, if they voluntarily put themselves out there like that, forgetting social distancing, forgetting protective wear and behavior because they need to go bowling or eat out or do their nails, well, then personally, deny them the treatment they will need after stupidity wins the game. There has to be a consequence for those reckless souls even as they take away needed time, personnel and equipment from those who are victims of COVID-19 through no misbehavior of their own. Harsh? Yes, but the line needs to be drawn.
     There is no doubt about it- life has grown hard but it will get even harder as we try to gain a hold on this virus, as we desperately seek new treatments, a vaccine, anything that will alleviate the suffering it has caused and will contiue to cause as it rips through our world. The collateral effects, compounded by a climate and environment gone mad, will add to this with more tragedies, with hunger pandemics, but the beaches? Oh, yeah!
     There are those who still remain beyond the deadly touch of this damned virus. They still do not know anyone suffering from it or only a distant acquaintance. But that group is diminshing in numbers. Personally, it seemed far away from us in the beginning, and we also hoped that we would distance, grin and bear the problems, worry and fret over the economy which surely would reopen soon, and then, then, it was not so far away.
     First it was closer acquaintances. Then it was friends, but not so close. Then it reached into the family and hit a nephew and after a hard fought battle he won, thank G-d. Next step? Closer friends began to fall ill, and then it happened. Good friends, important friends, people who played big parts in our lives, past, present, whatever, and they were gone. Just like that. We sat and stared at each other, poleaxed at the events, at the deaths. This was not so far away, not so vague, but terribly  real. Too real and could not be undone.
     Then, then, it is hard to write of, for it is that close, that permanent. Several days ago we received a phone call that our son in law had taken his father to the hospital, low oxygen saturation, confused. Both helpless to fix the problem. That was worry enough. Good news followed, or so we thought. He was rallying, might even be able to go to a rehab facility. Smiles on the faces once again.
      But life is not so sure anymore and yesterday afternoon we received another phone call, first from a daughter, tense, yet calm as she understood what needed to be done, but so concerned for others, and then the phone calls, the sobbing calls from the grandchildren we shared and so loved. How to explain to them the vagaries and cruelties of life. How to comfort them when in a matter of days, their beloved grandfather was ripped from them. How do we explain it to ourselves and how to deal with the fact that we cannot fly there for a funeral, nor visit the family in mourning, to comfort them, and for the shiva period of mourning to be sat alone, distanced, even as the concern rises high for a grandmother, a wife of eons, as she sits alone, bereft of husband,  bereft of her sons and their arms right now when she needs it so much. There is no explanation that is sufficient.
     Finally, how does one reassure all the other kids that no, this does not mean doom for all grandparents or aunts and uncles. Like the angel that passed over doorposts on the first Passover, the angel passes over again, sometime stopping for reasons we cannot understand, can mourn, but must accept.
     This virus, this plague, is real. It is too true. What we need to do is prepare ourselves for possiblities and to strenghten ourselves to bear up under its burdens, to do the right thing, to install and follow good and truthful people, leaders and experts. We need to understand that yes, life is unbelievably difficult now in so many ways, but we can reach out and 'touch' through technology. We can volunteer. We can obey the laws. We can understand why things must still remain closed for a bit more, even as we are warned that this winter it is likely that two epidemics - flu and Covid - will meet up at the same time.
      Frightening, but if we allow the experts to work unimpeded, if we fix the mess of a response that we have, if we stop playing politics with lives as the payments, then perhaps, perhaps, we can beat back this thing. If not, or until then, we all will be getting those phone calls. I wish it on no one. I wish it no more for our family, for the families of all, but only G-d knows the end of it all.
     From the bottom of my breaking heart, from my mourning soul, please, please, be careful, follow the rules, rein in your impatience, and have some trust for someone, somewhere that this battle will be won. In the interim, please, please, exercise caution, be and stay well. Be safe, as safe as you can be.

GRIM MILESTONES

     That is the term used by one writer yesterday in describing the status quo of life today. Everybody seems to be reaching these milestones of bad news and yet nothing seems to be happening to reduce them in occurrence or in depth. They range in seriousness from being afraid to allow a needed repair technician into one's home, to the grim numbers of those infected and those dead. We have the dubious honor, reached the grim milestone, of being the hottest epicenter among nations of the world. How special!!
     Another milestone? Well, how about the tragic one of the youngest victim in Michigan, a 5 year old cutie. How about the number of over 1,000 people in the NY Jewish community sitting shiva, the Jewish mourning period, and most doing it alone. Yet another? Okay. Oil prices are now negative per barrel and exactly what that means is not really known, nor how long it will last as this has never happened before. Yet another blow to the battered economy.
     Then, of course, we have the milestones marked by the "don't know" answer as we struggle to stay afloat, as human beings, as family members, as citizens, as people who have responsibilities to themselves and others. How long to keep isolated? Don't know. Why is Barr such a puppet for Trump when he is supposed to be neutral? Don't know. Why is the Government Accountability Office opening many, many investigations related to the disbursement of business loans and the corruption going on? Why are big businesses siphoning off billions when the small businesses the funding was meant for are left hanging out to dry? Don't know. Well, maybe we do know, as we have the most corrupt and inept administration and president ever. 
     How are we to go forward with confidence when we have a man in the WH who refuses to answer with truths rather than lies and denials, who refuses to accept responsibility for his own actions and words? When his responses to questions are either poisonous for the one who asked the question, their employers, and as far away from the truth as it is possible to get without disappearing off the face of the planet?
     This President has the dubious honor of being the most inane one we have ever had, especially in a time of existential danger. When and how will the big cities thrive again, become alive again? Don't know. Why have the Covid briefings turned into false congratulatory, self praising,  untruthful plaudits for Trump rather than filled with accurate information? Don't know. But wait, for we do know. This man is simply incapable of turning away from himself, his egotistical needs, his demented mind, and will answer with the stupidest answers ever. Such  a wonderul milestone.
     Need some examples to understand? Here are a few. Feel nauseous? Me too! And in the same sentence comparing himself to Lincoln? Ugh!!
      "You don't have the brains you were born with."
     "I got here with the worst, most unfair press treatment they say in the history of the United States for a president. They did say Abraham Lincoln had very bad treatment."
           Yet another milestone. Egypt, a Third World country, a country where its citizens are plagued with medical shortages and lack of care, Egypt has now sent us a planeload of medical supplies and medications. How shameful a milestone is this? How strongly does this highight the incompetence of this administration and its  s    l    o    w response to the pandemic as it struck massive blows across the globe. When he continued to hold his mob rallies, and then denying this in the most ridiculous and incomprehensible manner. "I don’t know about rallies. I really don’t know about rallies,” “Did I hold a rally? I’m sorry. I hold a rally. Did I hold a rally?”
     The outrageous censorship of people, of responsible people who tell the truth, the assumption of powers never granted to any President, let alone one working with minimum capacity and a great big hunger for power - all these are milestones we could have done without. All these 'don't know' answers that desperately need answers, I do know answers.
     In the meanwhile, back at the ranch here in CV, we are at last going to be tested, finally, in a community of the most endangered grouping. Would that we had a viable, reliable antibody test to see if we actually had a case of the virus and can then donate our plasma to help others, to simply know if we are safe to visit others, to see family again, to help others in their time of need. But.....don't know if and when that will ever happen nor when the vaccine will be created, tested and produced in such massive amounts that the world will be able to be dosed.
     In the meanwhile, it would be nice if our bossman here would be more forthcoming as to the doings of UCO during these months. The Village continues to exist so what is going on? Is Don Foster the only one with something to report? What about the four VPs? What about the issue with the Treasurer where he is denied information? What's going on, as Marvin Gaye asked. Well, we don't know, do we? A little information, Mr. President, for it would be so helpful.
      And also in the meanwhile, be well. Stay safe. We mourn with you as we all are beginning to have those struck down by the virus, those who heal and have a new struggle and those who pass, leaving behind great big holes in our lives. So....we are with you. Be safe, be well and stay that way.
     Here is a little tidbit you might like. The nations of the world who have female leaders seem to be doing better - as do states as well. Hmmm. Food for thought.

TRICKLING

     Nothing is static. Things and ideas seem to change even as we are speaking of it. One minute we are talking about over 750,000 infections - and that does not include many who die at home, nursing homes, and non tested victims - and over 40,000 dead, an increase in numbers that is taking fewer and fewer days to reach new records. For those who watch the statistics and say the increase is at a slower rate, well, think again and revise several other aspects with news that has come trickling down to us, the mere, little unimportant people of this country who evidently are not mature enough to be told the entire truth. But they do die well, do they not!!
     The transparency in this disaster is quite opaque. We are still getting no answers when we drill down and demand answers. Why did Trump not do something sooner. Why does he boast of his "total" authority, of his right to act using the Defense Production Act - and then sit there, as usual, doing nothing and boastingof it? Why is he allowed to talk to women in a demeaning manner, using all the memes of contempt for them. "there, there, calm down, lower your voice, etc." Nothing changes, ever, under this man's almost solidly blocked world of a corrupted WH and a Senate which follows along as a puppy follows a master.
     People, driven by an evil triad of far right, pro gun, and know nothings, including Trump himself, are now pushing against separation. Idiots! Do they not realize the damage of this thing? Have they escaped knowing anyone who has died of it, a very hard death, and one that can take a fully healthy indvidual down in a matter of days? Do they not understand that there are so many unknowns about this thing -the confusion, strokes, seizures, bloodclots, rechecking positive in testing - that we are as kindergarten kids first setting out on a long journey? Do they not realize that despite the empty promise, the truly stupid promises by Trump that the virus will be cured in a short time, that there are magic pills - that do not work - that there will be a vaccine practically overnight - the man is so wrong that he cannot even be explained logically. There is no trickling down here of knowledge, confidence, and optimism, because there is nothing to trickle down. It seems that even when someone attempts to open up the faucets of knowledge, not a drip trickles out. Shut down tight, as we all muddle around in a deadly swamp.
     This keep everyone in the dark attitude has continued to not trickle, but pour down the pipes here in the Village. David Israel has allegedly always run his administration under less than transparent conditions, flouting by laws, spending funds not authorized by the delegates, blocking people he does not like from serving on committees, and at times having some questionable vote counts and results. He has waged war, a verbal war, against his opponents, demeaning them even from his position as chair at the assemblies, a major no-no. So now what?
       Ed Grossman, a long time vocal opponent of David and cabal, succeeded in his run for Treasurer against long time ally of David, Ed Black, who somehow seemed surprisingly to have gotten himself in bad straits with David. So far, so good. But really not. We are now in the midst of a crisis that precludes any mass meeting of UCO but nevertheless, UCO must go on, for the Village remains to be run properly and safely. 
     But wait! Where is Ed Grossman all this time? Working diligently, or trying to, as he is blocked at every fork in the road, every turn, every lane. He is cut off from the computer system, a favorite action of David's. So childlike, so tantrumy, thinking he can pick up his marbles and go home without consequence. Ed is not allowed to access financial information and accounts so how is the Treasurer supposed to fulfill his obligations, his fiduciary responsibilities towards the residents of the Village? Is David a Pharaoh who demanded that the Israelites make bricks without the materials? A treasurer needs access to accounts, to financial information, to be able to conduct a fair and impartial audit for the Village, to do his damned job!!! He needs to have signatory power and authority, not to be denied that right.
    But nothing of this has trickled down to the Villagers due to the cancellation of all meetings. UCO is pretty much blockaded, Ed works from home, as he has the right to do, and David et al continues on his not so merry way. I remind David that he did not win by a landslide this time around. People are tired of his shenanigans and there are recall procedures for those who do not carry out their responsibilities to the Village and UCO properly, within the by laws, and must allow all else to do their jobs without allowing personal issues to get in the way.
     In these times we must all work together, whether we like each other or not. There will always be disagreements on every level of society and its interactions, but there also must be transparency, trust, and fair play. We are sorely missing that in todays's federal level, state level and local levels, including right here in Century Village West Palm. I wish it were not so. I truly do, for we, the people of the Village, of Florida, of America, of the world, need reassurance, knowledge and trust that our elected and appointed officials are doing their level best. 
     Not so today, unfortunately. All that trickles down is the bad stuff. All that trickles down is the mistrust, the distrust and the stubborness of refusing to work with each other. Neither man is 100% right nor 100% wrong. They have much to contribute and much to learn about civil behavior, so get on with it and do the jobs you were voted in to do and allow the other to do his job as well.

     In the meanwhile, folks, do your best in these trying times. Stay well and be safe. Pray for a good ending to this virus and the disastrous effect it has had upon us all. Pray that our leaders develop some sense of honesty and honor and remember their responsibilities towards the people.
    We, personally, have been getting hit hard by the deaths of friends and people we know or knew. We wish their loved ones, their survivors, all the best in this changing world, send them our love, keep them in our thoughts and hearts and above all, to stay well, to be safe.

LATE? EARLY? DOES IT REALLY MATTER?

     Lately, the issue of timing has been making headlines, driving decisions, even unto life and death issues.There are two sides here, with the GOP once again bringing partisanship into the fray rather than thinking and acting as they should, as Senators in the highest legislative branch of the ENTIRE country. What truly matters is not who "wins" but how quickly, efficiently, safely, we combat this virus and get the country back on a long and difficult road to economic and psychological recovery.
     Right now we have a country torn by massive numbers of dead, huge numbers of seriously ill, unknown sufferers, and a country locked into isolation, a difficult thing for mortals as they are social beings. It is hard to be isolated. It is hard for the single person to be alone for so long. It is horrendous for a mourner to be alone at the very time they need company. It is hard all around, no doubt about it.
     It is mind boggling when we realize that we have condemned a generation to lifelong economic uncertainty and are absorbing yet another generation into that same condition. We are draining the hard won savings of so many as they struggle to remain in homes, put food on the tables, even as they are without jobs nor any idea as to when they will return to work - if ever. And we are siphonng off the certainty of a retirement made sure by lifetime savings as these savings flood out the door as the older generation must subsidize their children and grandchildren in this vastly unsure economic atmosphere.
     Time questions arise. Is it too early to ease up on restrictions, open some stores, allow families to reunite, for friends to hug each other once again? Or is it too late already as the debt burden has risen almost to a tipping point, a burden that will be around for decades to come ad limit financeial spending, crimping the economy even then.
     But what happens if we opened too early in answer or response to different burning needs? What if the morons who flocked to the beach in Florida have now shared the virus and here we are, waiting for a spike in two weeks, just when we are beginning to see a flattening of the upwards curve. For the Governor or anyone else, like that ass, Trump, who pushed this, the deaths and the ill are on your head and shoulders. Your souls are the ones blackened by your contributions to the agony of so many others. You, and you alone, are responsible for a preventable second surge, canceling out the good all this social isolation and distancing has done. Congratulations to you! You made your political point at the cost of the lives of others for sure as shootin', you were nowhere near a beach in Jacksonville, Florida, yesterday!
     There is no doubt that the timing is crucial and so difficult to discern as to proper timing, of easing restrictions. Yes, it is hard to live a different life, but it is life. With some brighter minds at play, with a leader who will not try to impugn others with his own sins, such as being a fan of Xi of China, of crucial and critical errors he has made, of his dangerous incompetence and sheer ignorance, of packing the Federal benches with unqualified troglydytes of prehistoric eras, well only then will we have hope that we will bring this crisis to a manageable level, prepare for the future ones as we absorb and internalize what we have learned, and keep our country safe without ridiculous insane shouts of immigrants as the enemy or Democrats not being obedient tothe "total" authority and power person.
     We have been so strong, pulling our courage and determination from our depths, never realizing before how strong we actually are. We have found new heroes, on every level of society. We have come to realize the importance of truth and the awareness of that truth, all truths. We have learned that the world is different than we would have it. Hopefully we have learned that the world is one and only, only, if we work together can we overcome these new battles.
     We must also not forget that the other problems besetting us remain in play. Trump administration continues to remove regulations and now it seems that mercury is safe for the water we drink, bathe our children in, wash our dishes. It apparently is safe for all kinds of chemicals apparently, as all regulations for our safety are ramped right down to the bone. We spend on trips for administration officials, for the outrageous golf trips of Trump to his own hotels and for which we pay him, as we pay the exorbitant charges they lay upon the government. 
     The climate has improved so much during the course of this pandemic, teaching even the most resistant that human excesses have driven the deterioraton of the earth's natural environment and climates. We need to act upon that so clear and evident proof, not ignore it, or worsen it. But it seems there are no brains anywhere in DC and will not be until Jan 2021 when G-d willing and voters agreeing, we have a new administration, new voices, working brains, experts in proper places, real experts, and we try to revive our country and the world, as we act upon the harsh lessons we have been taught.
     If we fail to learn from this long ongoing tragedy, the one which has no past time date stamped on it, then we are doomed. We must be smarter than the idiots in government positions now and refuse to venture out to where it is not safe, where distancing is ignored and where there will be tragic consequences and an even longer isolation period of time for all of us.
     In the meanwhile, have patience, though it will be hard, as we all yearn for more freedom of movement and a return to an ever more normalization of our world. Patience will pay off, but a too early all in will only cause a delay in the all out phase! Do the right thing, though difficult.  
                Above all? Be well. Stay safe.


     

FOOD FOR THOUGHT?

     There are few choices when one is basically confined to one place in which to exist. Sure, one can schedule exciting journeys and outings such as to a grocery store or post office or be lucky enough to have the ability to take a walk in suitable weather. But really, what else? Read a book. Read many books. Watch Tivo or straight TV or streaming. Or gulp! The boredom induced project tackling. 
     Warning: A project of any consequence is dangerous to one's sanity and one had better be careful about estimation of time, energy, and actual will power to stick to it, from onset to completion. Full disclosure - we have an ongoing problem with books. They multiply by themselves in the nooks and crannies, shelves and tables, in our home. We compound that effect by buying or obtaining even more. Consequently, we took on the project of seeking, evaluating and elimination of those books. Bad move!! Now what do I do with ten large boxes of all types of books and there are many more shelves to tackle! Beware!
       During this project we often stopped to read some fascinating book or other and then would put it on the keep pile. Dumb, very dumb. Negates the whole aim of the project. And we took necessary breaks during which, many times, we - naturally - sat down with a book or two or three - get the point?! One book, a new one, is well worth reading. It is called Serenade for Nadia by Livaneli and it induces moments of thought, moments of questions, moments of despair, moments of triumphant humanity, and moments of  disturbing truths. Read it and think.
     The storyline, the plot, is fascinating by itself, but the questions it raises are, to put it mildly, disturbing to complacency. Truth. Just and Justice. Right. Power. Force. The role of government in human society. Echoes of history tumbling, shrieking, down the halls of time. Moments of wondering if and when we will ever learn to get it right or are we perpetually doomed to repeat ad infinitum, progress ruined eventually by backsliding people and states.
     Think about it. Who or what is the general rule of thumb in government. It is generally the strong, the powerful, the unjust. Even if pursuing justice prior to leadership position, power and selfishness, the ignoring of justice and humanity, grows apace and the leadership turns unjust, justice slain along the way.
     Why does this happen? Why do we struggle so hard to improve living conditions, foster and defend progressive thoughts, dreams and actions, then suddenly turn on it all and fall for a leader of dubious goals and aims, dreams of power, total power, total control, hope falling by the wayside. History is rife with the rise and fall of dictators, the 'surprises' that befall us, as we allow it! As WE allow it.
     The basic questions here revolve around justice, being just, having power. Is power good? Maybe? But generally, as we all know, power does corrupt. Just take a gander through history or a walk through the halls of the countries of  the world, and yes, folks, right here in the United States of America. Chart the growth of dictators, the rise to the top of those most enmeshed in Power, the loss of Justice, an inevitable part of the rise of power as a goal, THE goal. Power, by definition, is unjust. Being Just and Justice are not often the power retainers in society. And we, the people of the world, suffer the consequences as history repeats itself, echoes with heartrending decisions and paths that should never have been taken.
    We allow this to happen. At times it appears that we actually want, crave, this to happen. We are in a bad time, or perilous times, and we need, with  physical, mental and emotional needs, that Power to rule over us. We cede liberties. We lose our way. We destroy the footprints that would take us back to Justice. Not good, Not conducive to hope.
      According to this book one can believe, understand, infer, that we are in such a time period. We elected - or did not - a supposed leader who is harmful, even the enemy of, progress and Justice. We have a leader who challenges, pushes the envelope every single day, every hour of the day, in a desperate negative path. Demands Power. Total control. Is not shy of making that demand in those very words. He attacks the media, the very tool of either spreading Justice and Truth or enhancing the evil side of Power, championing only those segments of media which parrot his words.
      He threatens to dismantle the government, shutting down the Legislative branch, already infiltrated the Judicial branch to a frightening degree. He displays little empathy or even a modicum of understanding of the plight of humans and the needs which must be addressed. Justice? A foreign concept. To be kept out by walls, real and invisible. Progress? To be rolled back. Voting rights, human rights? A thing of the past as quickly as possibe. Hope. goodness? To be dispensed with and promptly. Rules for society? Not for him and his, as they assume that they are, by virtue of their position in the ranks of society, above the law.
     While the book does not whitewash the issues nor absolve modern governments of all sins, assuming they have finally learned something, anything, there is a growing element of hope. The protagonist in the novel actually grows as a person, manages to counter the evil moves of Power, combat it with Justice, not always, but often enough. The novel ends on a note of hope, a note, literally and figuratively, even as some truths are recognized as they are in  perpetuity if we so allow it, take the easy, but damaging path over the more challenging one.
      Justice apparently is weaker than power so we evidently must make Power Just. Not an easy task, if it is even able to be accomplished and kept intact. But we must try. We must take those hard steps, the ones where we feel as if we are pulling the load of humanity and its future, alone.  Sometimes we are. But we must fight for it, hope for it, demand it and defend it.
     Interestingly, Beyonce had it right when she closed her segment in a Disney Sing-along with these words:
      “Please hold onto your families tight. Be safe, don’t give up. We’re going to get through this, I promise. God bless you.”
      Take these words into your hearts, burn them and the efforts needed into your minds and souls. Cherish the rights we have and insure their permanence. Our future depends on it.
      In the meanwhile, stay well. Be safe.