HERE? WHERE IS HERE?

  Zelensky made a brave statement, one which does not surprise anyone knowing the history of the Jewish people throughout the centuries. Chased from pillar to post, burned, racked, denied recognition as human, denied all rights, they always and forever remained 'here'.

Edward II expelled the Jews from England because he wished to renege on his monetary debts to them. The Jews were expelled, brutally, from Spain and Portugal, persecuted in those countries afterwards. France joined the 'club' too, all the while the Jewish people remained 'here'. They remained in existence, often quite blatant existence, as they managed to climb the ladders of success in many areas despite oppression and repression. Even in modern times, the Soviet Union, Poland, and other countries, even after WWII and its unspeakable horrors inflicted on the Jewish people with a goal of extinction and extermination - the 'otherness' continued to be promulgated. 

Ukraine, awash in Jewish blood over centuries, the land soggy with that blood, shocked itself by actually welcoming the Jewish people, by allowing room for them to serve their country's political financial, entertainment, etc. worlds. Even the worst can change. The 'here' positional quality changed, allowing for a Zelensky to appear at the right moment for this beleaguered country.

 Jews have always been 'here'. They stubbornly refused to die, to hide themselves and their identity. Yes, some did, and there is no blame attached to that, for survival is a natural imperative. But the Jews did remain. They educated their children, even the poorest among them. They pushed and hoped and worked for a better future. Iconic songs, covered by many talented singers took their place, became anthem songs of 'here'. Meyer Rothschild sings plaintively of his hopes when he sings "In My Own Lifetime", a plea for a world where the Jew was free from oppression and existential threats. Leonard Cohen wrote Hallelujah. Listen to the words, understand where they are coming from and how they got 'here'. 

Yes, Jews have always been here despite efforts to deny them that presence. They made their contributions to the world in so many areas. Today, there are myriad numbers of organizations sending funds over to Ukraine, sending people, to aid the over 200,000 Jews in that country, many elderly, poor, and the remaining and declining numbers of Holocaust survivors. Nor does the aid stop there. It flows out there, to the here where all Ukrainians are. History is amazing and the "wheel of time" does indeed roll around delivering danger and safety. We are left with the task, over and over again, of meshing the 'there' of the moment to a 'here' meant for eternity, to make a choice, to opt for one thing or another. Most of Jewry opts to remain 'here', wherever their here is. They became and become still, loyal citizens of their respective countries. They support Israel, a state which openly declares to the world - We are Here. Like it or not.  We are here. So we shall remain.

Zelensky, in stating, "Listen, I am here." as he spoke to his nation, was simply reiterating a theme that runs throughout Jewish history. When man and G-d had to meet, the seeking by G-d, asking "A'yecka?", where are you, the response, the only possible one, was Hineni - I am here. When G-d sought Abraham, he answered with a simple Hineni. When Moses was tasked by G-d to meet his responsibilities towards his people in Egypt he had to understand. He had to accept the truth - Hineni was the proper, sole response, voiced or unvoiced. When the Jews of Persia were targeted by Haman, Esther stepped up to the plate, for Hineni she had to be. Despite and in spite of danger for herself. When the Jews of Europe needed aid during the Holocaust, brave young Jews from the 'there' that was then called Palestine, to the 'here' of war-torn, blood-soaked Europe. Hannah Senesh was one. Hineni was her answer to the needs of her people, wherever their 'here' was. Though times dying for their efforts, Hineni they were.

Thus, it is not a surprise to us, the Jewish people, certainly those who know their history, that a Jewish leader in a violated country, standing against a giant, a vicious, violent giant, can and will stand up, openly declaring "Listen, I am here.".

This attitude is inborn in the nature of any Jew. It is to be found in many surprising places. In Los Angeles there is a strange juxtaposition of old and new, of eternal faith, of eternal strength, of an almost defiant tone, of 'here we are, and here we shall remain - wherever here is'. Alongside the magnificent building of the oldest Jewish congregation of Los Angeles, is a new, very modern building. One that does not clash with the other. Instead, it follows the theme of 'here'. Into the future and back to the past, into a present fraught with existing very real danger - the Jewish people are here. Here. Wherever here is. We allow room for the old, the traditional, along with the new, for hope, for a future, giving us, the world, room for thought, for introspection, for presence.

Yes, Here we are and Here we shall remain, despite all efforts to deny that truth. Where is here the title asks. Here is wherever we choose to be, always making the 'there' of the moment, of the century, our Here, our assurance to ourselves and to the world that wherever here is - we shall always answer - Hineni. I am here and ready.

"A MONUMENT MADE OF PAPER"

A statement made by Serge Klarsfeld re another matter, most apropos of today's world, and to that I add - 'and blood'. Take a good look at the world and defy the truth of that statement if you can. It is, in fact and sad reality, a vindication of the opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens. "It is the best of times; it is the worst of times". We have taken the best of mankind and trashed it and aren't we proud!!

      "As the sun sets and hills grow dark,

         as the birdsong ends and fields fall silent,

          as the people laugh and take their rest,

          I watch.

         My heart hurries

         To the twilit gardens of Ukraine." (Taras Shevchenko)

 However, we must know, to the very marrow of our bones, that this is more than about Ukraine, very much more indeed. As an editor of a Ukrainian English website said, "It's a contest between democracy and autocracy, freedom and dictatorship, whose implications will scatter across the world. It's not our fight alone. So please don't leave us alone to fight it."

Truer words have never been spoken. Russia, under the leadership of a deranged man, has rained down on us chaos, destruction, a true to life world of Dr. Strangelove. The question is this: Are we to understand that or are we to ignore the very basic, existential truth of what he has set in motion? Shall we keep our heads buried in the diminishing sands and in fact, bring about the very thing we are frightened of - a nuclear war, a WWIII, a war beyond our comprehension?

There is no denying the truth that Putin has no interest in stopping at the borders of Ukraine. His lust for conquest, for power, is clear. His 'warnings' and threats to Finland, to Sweden about joining NATO, his greedy eyes set upon the closest NATO   lands - the three Baltic Republics, Romania, Poland, all the former Iron Curtain lands and beyond- are clearly to be seen and understood.

Kudos to those individuals, companies and countries who have joined the fight. Elon Musk, Anonymous, the French Navy, those countries who have or are sending arms and ammunition to Ukraine. We need to do more other than build yet another paper monument. 

Is it enough? A tiny David against a mammoth Goliath?! I think not. Sanctions, SWIFT -? Not enough. Russia has a history of scorched earth warfare, with little regard for catastrophic loss of life and destruction of property. They have brought the last weapon before nuclear - the thermobaric missile which disintegrates humans, which uses the very air we breathe to destroy us.

There is little hope that this barbaric, unjustified invasion will cease; certainly not unless forced to. We must not continue to state we will not send in soldiers. Putin knows that well and bases his plans on that assurance and certainty. No 'forever' autocracy has ever been. However, the cost of them in terms of life and limb, in long and short terms is overwhelming. The only answer is to stop them in their path before success empowers and emboldens them, increasing the cost of defeating them.

Brave words. True words.

“Russian warship,” came the reply, “go f--- yourself.” (The equivalent of our "Nuts" to the Nazis)

“Already a brutal mistake of lives taken and hearts broken, and if he doesn’t relent, I believe Mr. Putin will have made a most horrible mistake for all of humankind,” .... “President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have risen as historic symbols of courage and principle.” “Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams. If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost.”  (From Sean Penn! - not my favorite character and even he recognizes the truth of it all.)

 " I watch the horror unfolding, the country being destroyed, families being displaced, their whole life lying in charred fragments around them," ... the trauma and terror they experienced. War. Always war. Leaders who cannot bring peace. The never-ending juggernaut of imperialism. And always, the people pay in bloodshed and tears. (Milla Jovovich)

 Before nuclear war becomes the last resort, used by a man with no decency, no pity, no thoughts for anything other than himself and his blind ambition, before this: 

"... a nuclear war would immediately affect 91.5 million people, which would cause 34.1 million deaths and 57.4 million wounded within the first four or five hours".

1+1=0" (The nuclear equation of the Princeton University Science and Global Program of 2019)

"The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces," (Biden)

 Not enough. It is ironic that Ukraine, an area which has absorbed unspeakable amounts of Jewish blood over the centuries, including members of my own ancestors, whose people enthusiastically joined with the Nazi invaders, wallowed in the killing ground of Baba Yar, now has a Jewish President and Prime Minister and has now appealed to the thousands of Ukrainian origin Israelis to return, help fight the good fight. Torn between two polar opposite feelings, I know that the past must be left there right now, for if not, there will be no future.

That is the point. That is the end? Which end? Up to the entire world. How to implement the rescue, to do the right thing? Way, way, above my pay grade.

AND YOU THOUGHT YOUR FAMILY WAS DYSFUNCTIONAL?!

 Here's the deal. Every family has its moments. This one talks about that one and that one won't talk to the other. Seating at family affairs becomes difficult even as the cause of these feuds is forgotten. No reason, but feuds persist. Like it or not, believe it or not, the war in Ukraine is just that: A feud amongst the families of the region. Russians and Ukrainians are members of the same family, relatives on both sides of the feud. Many Russians are equally as opposed to this blatant invasion as are the Ukrainians, the members of their family who are living on the other side of a border line.

"Shame for the insane tyrant." Thus sayeth many liberal Russians who never quite believed that Putin would defy the world, edge us ever closer to full nuclear disaster, as he boasted of his nuclear capacity and the willingness to use it. Those of us who drilled for nuclear war in the fifties and sixties know of the uselessness of those drills, and the futility of supposed sheltering facilities. Even if one were deep, deep underground, what is the point? In fact, the point is that there would be little, if anything left, after a MAD - mutual assured destruction - event. The Day After has been universally portrayed as a catastrophic turn of events and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki pale in comparison.

It used to be that we depended on the sanity of the leaders of the world to recognize where to get off that runaway train of destruction. Why not, for there are no winners in such a war. In fact, there are no winners in any war, as the death toll, the damage done to people, to infrastructure is too often beyond the worst calculations.

Today, the world seems to reverberate with threats  and posturing of these deranged people, these oh so not leaders. Deranged, self-important, unthinking, these insane narcissists plunge ahead determined to carry out and on regardless of consequences. Our hope resides within the hearts and minds, the strength of ordinary Russians to do something, after 20 years of being ruled by an insane person.

““This is a fratricidal, predatory war, unleashed by an insane tyrant. We are sorry, Ukraine!” We are in grief. Our country started a war with Ukraine upon Putin’s order. And there is nobody to stop it. That is why we experience shame along with grief … Would the next step be a nuclear attack?” 

 Buttressed by the blatant insanity and weakness of the American former president, Donald Trump, we too have our own shame to contend with. Such is to where we have been led, by our willing noses, by unseeing eyes, wracked by fear and overloaded with dread of the future.

This dangerous situation is our fault. Together. All of us. We refused to see the forest for the trees nor the trees for the forest. We ignored dead end politics. We refused to recognize the dangerous insanity of these crazed leaders, making allowances for their destructive policies. We blocked the reality of these threats, of their determination to carry on and well, here we are. Now where do we go.

The hyperbole is rising. The danger increasing even as war fever, desperation, build. People are dying. Plain and simple. Frankly, I see no pathway out unless Putin is taken down. Once and forever. And finally, may the Russians discard their long- time history of needing a dictator at the helm. Enough already. The dangers are too grave and too realistic, almost unavoidable - unless we wake up and not smell the coffee, but down huge quantities of it.

When the Russians wake up and realize that they have declared war on their own family, when they realize that the power to end this is within their own hands, well, maybe, just maybe, we can hope. In fact, we all must accept that humankind is all related, the same beneath the coloration of skin, or religion, or place of origin. Our dreams are the same. Our love for our children is the same. Why cannot we see that, penetrate the bluster and the fog obscuring it all, much to the delight of warmongers and haters.

I pray, I hope, I plead with all, that we remain on this side of the border of sanity, that we understand deep within ourselves that we all lose in this situation, no matter who started it, where it began. What the excuse of the time was. Family. Family. Like it or not. One shared home - a fragile Earth.

"BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP, HAVE YOU ANY WOOL?"

  "Yes, sir, yes, sir. Three bags full."

 The locations of those bags are then revealed. Wish it were as simple as that. All I do know is that these bags and many other bags are now being discovered, in use in too many places as blinding eye coverings, as mind blockers that imprison any desires to act properly nigh onto impossible. 

Frankly, I see no way out here. I see no agreement in the near future. Moreover, if we do not pull this blinding wool, rip it, away from our eyes, well, simply follow the logical course to its ending, a conclusion, which most manifestly is not on the side of survival, certainly not as the world is today. As bad as the world's situation is right now, it can be much, much worse.

You ain't seen nothing yet, regarding the supply chain bollix. Think it bad enough today as one never knows which shelves will be empty and for how long? Tiring of the new normal of defensive shopping? If seen, buy. That is the imperative. Well, think of how much worse it can and will become should this Russian mess go on, with countries playing tit for tat games, restrictions galore to international trade. 

 I am way below the pay grade to solve this issue. The point is - we should never have reached this point. Never. But the West has become weak, torn from the inside, negligent in facing down its enemies from without. We backed down every damn time, reinforcing the impression that nothing is unattainable if only one hangs on long enough, shouts threats loud and strong, and acts accordingly, to shore up those threats with realities.

Call Russia by any name, it remains the same. Its voracious appetite for the countries of others, for land seizures under pretexts that reek to the high heavens, is nothing new. It did not appear overnight. No, it has long been with us. Unfortunately, we followed an erroneous path and backed down every time. Crimea was taken. Gone. Now the nibble further. Two more "breakaways"
 - gone. Next up? The closest border areas, all the better to nibble better. Top that with the continuing Balkanization of Eastern Europe, with its consequential "neighborhood" countries. Weak, open to takeovers, forced "friendships' with pitfalls galore. The kind of friends one needs not!

Worse, this fungus that preys upon the souls of countries, that defies all rules of civilized society, spreads. China and Xi Jinping, are watching very closely and judging, deciding, their next steps based on the reactions of the West to Russia and its land grab of Ukraine. Ukraine specifically, stated openly by Putin. "I have decided to conduct a special military operation," said Putin.

"Its goal is to protect people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide... for the last eight years. And for this we will strive for the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.

China's reaction?  "claimed the territory for China, calling it an "inalienable part" of the country, a belief that Hua labeled an "indisputable historical and legal fact." And there you have it. Falsehoods passed off as truths with all knowing the falsity of the statements but nevertheless mouthing them and backing them up as the West backs down. Even now, as the threat grows, as those hands on the Doomsday Clock move ever closer to the striking of the hour.  America is tied tightly to Taiwan, with military and political promises. Should we renege on those promises, on that alliance, we will have no further business with any other country, for we will neither be believed nor trusted.

The Western countries are now negotiating from a position of weakness, not a good place to be. This weakness is seen within their own inner structures. France continues to bite itself in the rear, with right wing influence growing. Canada is "shocked" and oh so apologetic re the Nazi salute given by students to a Jewish teacher, daughter of Holocaust survivors. Shocked? Not really, for anti Semitism is growing, a true growth industry. Nor point out to me the "warmth" of new relations between Arab nations and Israel. Arab nations are known to turn on a dime, and another one just banned Death on the Nile as Gal Gadot stars in it. She is Israeli. 'nuff said?

Here in America we allow traitors to speak for us with no challenge to them. Trump and Flynn, traitors both. Openly, praising Putin and his moves, claiming he is a genius. Perhaps, alongside the genius, deranged as it was, of Hitler, but praise for an enemy while we stand on the precipice of a world destroying WWIII? 

And there he goes again. Skating away from all condemnation or punishment for misdeeds and crimes. Bragg, the new DA in Manhattan is now walking away from the Trump case. The prosecutors heading that investigation resigned in protest. Smell a fish or two? I do, and that rank odor is emanating from the office of Bragg. NY City not doing too well here, not at all. 

The plaintive plea round the world is thus: - somebody, somewhere do something. Right the situation. Right the wrongs. Upend the potential destroyers of the planet. Prevent this in the future. Make sure we have a future!

I second that plea. Our window of opportunity to halt this mess in its tracks is narrowing by the second. Will sanctions be enough? Will they be strong enough to make an impression upon these men? Will they take that lesson along with them as they plan for the future? Will it be enough? Will it? Will it? Will we even attempt a strong act or will we cower in a closet somewhere, tail between our legs, hoping the world does not implode nor explode on their watch. 

Stock market falling, dropping like a lead ball in the waters of the ocean? Supply chain problems? Bitcoin vs. standard currency? CRT or book banning? So important, yet so not important if the world degenerates into a state of existential doubt and urgency.

We do not make the policy. But we can let our voices be heard. If we shout long and loud. If we penetrate the shells of these political fools. If we ourselves even can figure out what the correct response and answer is! I for sure, do not but then again, I did not get us into this mess. The politicos did. Shame on them - and danger to us.

Baa, Baa, Black sheep - please hold all your wool.

Tick-tock.  Tick-tock.

Well, folks, it is now tick. tick, tick as Putin has invaded totally, with bombs and missiles and major cities all under attack. What now? Dear Lord, what now?

QUATERNARY

  Yet another new word for my vocabulary growth project. It reassures me that there are indeed some intelligent people out there; not everyone has succumbed to the trend of "dumbing down", of appealing to the least common denominator. Why can we not attempt to pull people up rather than allow them to sink to simplistic, generally too simplified, ideas and reasoning? Why? Because for the most part it does not fulfill our needs to do otherwise. Mostly, dumbing down results in numbing down, a result heartedly desired by some.

So, back to quaternary. I knew it had to do with four, based on the 'quat' lead in but the rest? Apparently, most definitions connected it to business and economic factors which crossed my eyes. A referral to the Cenozoic era also left me cold. Aha, but this one - "of, relating to, or consisting of four units or members" - this was a good one and fit the article wherein I met the term.  

 The article concerned two identical twins marrying two identical twins, having a dual ceremony, and having babies, both boys, within the same half year. These boys are more aptly genetic brothers rather than cousins, for their birth had a quaternary component - based on the four identical units of it. The families even live together, under the same roof, running the same business. A bit too close for me, but apparently it works for them.

And then I wondered. Perhaps there is another quaternary issue in the world. Rather than being physically alike, these leaders of backwards, aggressive countries have been cloned mentally, morally - or in the lack of morals, in their harsh attitude towards death and total contempt for all others and for international laws and peace. 

Xi Jinping. Vladimir Putin. Donald Trump. Orban. Bolsonaro. And we can go on and on. Their quaternary roots are distinct. Autocracy. Police state. Threats and imprisonments. Disappearances of opposition. Challenges to free nations and massive calling of bluffs. Which unfortunately work too well. Afraid of resultant death tolls in an outright war, the other nations concede, appease, and the evil quaternaries forge on. The war they think they are avoiding? It happens anyway, over a longer period of time and in the worst case - which now actually has a high degree of probability - a total involvement of the nations of the world. WWIII. Plain and simple.

See, understand that this is not 'merely' a matter of two small areas within Ukraine. Nope. Far more than that. It is the replication of the Hitlerian policy of at first 'nibble, nibble', progress to bites and then swallow whole hog. It will take nations a long time to realize the truth. They would rather avoid the truth and its meaning in the practical world. By then, they are hampered by size, by facts on the ground, by limitations of resources, and the overwhelmingly better prepped armies of the aggressors. Then the multiple years of war.  

We cannot think that all the blame for war fits directly onto the shoulders of these supposed leaders. The people support their mixed policies, the wishy-washy tactics, the impotent responses, allowing for the aggressor to move forward without real risk and challenge. Ukraine is the perfect example. In 2014 Crimea 'broke away'. Nothing happened. Now two more provinces are 'breaking away', recognized as independent states. Next up, if unchallenged, the nibble, nibbling of Ukraine, piece by piece, until the whole of Ukraine is subsumed within the ever-growing New Russian Empire under the all but in name Tsar of this Empire.

Guess who!

But never you mind, for this overgrown quaternary plotting of the evil wizards of bloodshed and war, well, it always has new leadership applying for entry into this exclusive club. Rick Scott, not content in ruining Florida, before handing it over to the next troglodyte, DeSantis, active in the mismanagement of the country via his Senate seat, now boasts a plan, his plan, to "Rescue America" through yet another benighted 11-point plan. Via the same GOP that still supports? Fears? the deranged Trump who has openly admired, praised Putin's moves here as genius! Oh yes, such help awaiting us. May the Lord Above help us!

 "I will lift mine eyes up to the hills, 

   (Seeking) From whence my help comes?"

My help comes from Hashem (G-d)

The Creator of the skies and the earth."

Perhaps He will hear the pleas, the anguish, and respond accordingly. But what is that 'accordingly"? What have we done to deserve rescue from our own stupidity and cupidity? Beats me.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ... THE WORLD

  From the sublime to the ridiculous. From vastly important and grave news which send a chill down your spine to stories that warm the heart. That is the range of the world news, a range which both   frustrates and gives relief. Some more comic relief might come in handy, but, well, take what we can get is the motto of the day.

Russia is "incredibly unimportant" to the world's economy as it is apparently nothing but a huge "gas station". That being said, what do we then do with the virtual collapse of Russian and European economies after yesterday's news re Ukraine and its "breakaway" states and the chills in American futures? Unimportant? Nah. Rather important.

Ironically enough, we have yet another connection between Mother Nature and her reckless children - us. A huge bear named Hank the Tank, 500 pounds and HUGE, is frightening residents nearby as he breaks into homes in search of food and whatever goodies his bear mind seeks. Russia's animal chi is the bear and here ya' go! The Russian bear is breaking into homes too, albeit on a larger scale. In Ukraine, in supposed breakaway states such as Donetsk. Nibble, nibble. If you cannot find a comfortable huge bite, well, then simply create stories and then take nibbles and nibbles. The end result is the same. The absorption of yet more territories into Putin's burgeoning would-be New Russian Empire' and a world caught flatfooted, along with a Hobbesian choice of equally harmful choices. Nibble, nibble. Works every time.

Time for a good story? How about those Starbucks employees who noticed a possible attempt to do harm to a student and their clever ruse to see if she needed help. Citizens stepping up to the plate rather than turning a usually blind eye on the situation. Kudos to these barristas. Still some hope for the world.

More good news now? Okay, so...a Byzantine column was found unharmed, uncovered from the literal sands of time on the sand dunes of Ashdod. The past revealing a piece of itself. Perhaps a hint that despite all disasters, mankind might yet survive to add its own piece to the historical trail we leave behind? Maybe. Maybe not. We have ever so much more explosive and destructive fire power, do we not? Worse, wisdom is often not to be found in our lexicon. That is too bad.

Not to forget the awesome power of Mother Nature when she is quite perturbed. Her signals are right there before our eyes, though too often we are blind to them. The San Andreas Fault, that ugly rift in the crust of the world, wondrously ugly, wordlessly, reminding us that we do not have all the answers nor all the correct pathways as disaster awaits us, timing unknown, should we ever take that last straw and place it on that Fault. 

Nor should we ever mistake one crack for another. That Black Crack in Utah is yet another reminder that the ground beneath our feet is not always terra firma and we had better remember that.

Last, but certainly not least, not today, is the presence of bad people, evil people, who continue to rain terror and disaster upon us. Via nature. Via humanity and its errors. Via simply evil souls who have no knowledge at all of compassion, of kindness, of empathy. Nor do they care to make even a glancing acquaintance of it. Such a one is the 'passenger' who shot and killed an Uber driver trying to support her children. For her troubles and woes, she was killed. For the few bucks she was forced to hand over. Evil does exist and evil people exist as well. Much to our detriment.

Moreover, with ever increasing strength and presence among us, is the rot from within, the rot that is consuming us, bite by bite, nibble by nibble. We have allowed too often the worst of society to rise to the top, bringing along all the scum it relates to, all the vice it champions, all the 'could care less' attitude towards those they are supposed to serve. They are the corrupt who shout and scream when caught red handed, too often their shouts and screams drowning out the cries of the cheated, the harmed, the endangered. To our great shame and great harm. 

Worst of all is the shameful fact of believers who continue to believe despite all the proof otherwise. Too embarrassed? Too deluded? Truthfully, I cannot understand it, am even frightened of it, by it, and what it portends for our future. Or lack thereof.

Okay. Time to get on with the day's schedule. Time to ruminate even further during that day. Time to perhaps, maybe, possibly, see mankind take a right step along the right path? One can hope. We can hope. But we must be in it to do so, not uselessly denying all connection to it. Nope, does not work that way. Not at all.

WELCOME, WELCOME

  “All citizens deserve to have their voices heard and to be treated fairly and equally under the law,” 

That was said by a tribal leader whose tribal precinct had been cut in three, all the better to fix the election before it takes place. So welcome, welcome, one and all to the new and growing AmeriKa. Welcome to the efficient manner of government, where plans can be made for years in advance, where nothing is left to chance - or to true democratic process. Nope, but welcome, welcome. Said the spider to the fly.

Welcome, welcome to all women, for that matter. Uh, but wait a moment. Welcome to those who promise to fit the paradigm of our most blessed and welcomed women. They must be submissive to their husband for he is the boss, according to the rules and beliefs of Evangelism. Welcome to the nurturing woman who knows her place, modeled upon the "kinder, kirche, kuchen" of Nazism. Children. Church. Kitchen. Welcome, welcome, one and all - with the proviso that you will fit and follow the model. You know, the Christian nature of AmeriKa.

Welcome, welcome to a changed world. Lest you think we are somehow missing the boat in our thinking, just follow the pointer on the screen; look into the new world of Europe. They too have become traditional. It is welcome to your friendly neighborhood country. It is the principle of live only with your own. Make others feel most unwelcome, out of place, and not to worry, for they have their own neighborhood nation. They simply have to go there. Businesses, homes, long time history of family within this country? Well, that's life in the New World, the world of AmeriKa and the old, yet new again, Balkanization of the New Europe. Love it or leave it. Wait. Just leave.

What about principles you ask, so plaintively. What about all that we have achieved? Is it simply to be trashed, belittled and discarded? Simple answer - yes. The new principle of government is the one that states that we are reverting to a past that is more comfortable for us, the majority in the local neighborhood nation. Never mind that it did not work then and probably might not work out now. We are going to do our darndest to make it so, to keep it in place. That is our principle. All else, take a hike! But welcome, welcome. 

By the way, if you do not like this neighborhood nation, there might be one more to your liking and to your ilk a few miles down the road. But do not forget - if the majority changes, well, we might just be in your face again.

Welcome, welcome.

WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT THE FUCK!!!!

  It is rare that I will fully type in a curse word; however, this is such a time. There is very little remaining with which to shock. A time to make people realize that we had better pay attention to the situation, unpleasant as it is, for there is no escaping the consequences if the worst happens. At present we are reliving history, that of the "peace in our times" of Chamberlain, or the "false war" after the invasion of Poland until the disaster of Dunkirk.  Apparently, we never learn. Same tragic moves in a tragic game.

What is the current situation? Well, quite succinctly, "The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists updated their Doomsday Clock to 100 seconds to midnight. " Closer than it has been in decades. It means that there is real fear of a nuclear war, even a "small" one, where "The worst-case scenario is that US and Russian central strategic forces would be launched with the detonation of several thousand warheads, ... "A large nuclear exchange would not only kill millions of people and contaminate vast areas with radioactive fallout but potentially also have longer-term climatic effects."  

A large one? "A blanket of soot would wrap the rays of the Sun and cause a nuclear winter, destroying crops all over the planet and plunging billions into famine." Further clarification and description? I refer you to the many movies, books and essays wherein even the most optimistic, portray "... an uninhabitable world, filled with lethal amounts of radiation and short on necessities like food and water. As our electrical infrastructure collapsed around us, people would resort to looting and other violent methods to survive. The seeming deterioration of civilization during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic would be nothing compared to the anarchy and destruction that would follow nuclear war." 

Why do we constantly place ourselves in such suicidal situations? Why do we enmesh ourselves in the nonconsequential, i.e., boasting of being in a Peloton community, rather than in a community of nations that should be, that needs to be? One that does not foment and foster hatred, where it matters not as to color, or ethnicity, or religion, or nationality (and most of that category artificial). Listen to Sade sing Why Can't We Live Together. A question striking deep within our souls:

              "Tell me why, tell me why, tell me why

                Why can't we live together ...

                Everybody wants to live together

                Why can't we be together

           No more war, no more war, no more war

                   Just a little peace

             No more war, no more war

          All we want is some peace in this world."

As a Jew, I stand together with my brethren for we know how deep that hatred strikes. We know, from time immemorial, that the blame will devolve on us, on our shoulders once again, convenient scapegoats. The end results are ugly. The hatred grows to unbelievable proportions, yet it had better be believed. That hatred needs to be constantly fed; new 'food' must be found. No one is safe. Certainly, the denial of the Holocaust, growing once again, the rapid growth industry of anti Semitism, violent anti Semitism, tells us another story.

Need to know, deep within you, what happens, the reality of it all, not just the parades and chants, but the blood, the anguish, the horror, the heaving grounds of mass graves where children and parents were buried alive, where the earth still reeks of blood, where the ground still gives up the bones and ashes of the slaughtered? Think not that you can escape. Even if nuclear disaster is avoided, but war continues, the blame necessity grows, and the scapegoat is ever more a necessity.

I suggest you read, however much you can tolerate, selections from these two books. If you can get more than two pages deep, you have a stronger stomach than I. Or perhaps it is that the heaving ground contains my extended family, hundreds of them. 

Read: Children During the Holocaust - Documenting Life and Destruction...in Context

Read: The Unknown Black Book - the Holocaust in the German Occupied Soviet Territories

Here is an excerpt from the latter one, written by one who followed the Soviet Army as they chased the Wehrmacht out. Seeking his family. In vain.

"There are no Jews in Ukraine. Nowhere - Poltava, Kharkov, Kremenchug, Borispol, Yagotin - in none of the cities, hundreds of towns, or thousands of villages will you see the black, tear-filled eyes of little girls; you will not hear the sad voice of an old woman; you will not see the dark face of a hungry baby. All is silence. Everything is still. A whole people have been brutally murdered."

This is what happens when we lose control, give in to our basest emotions and darkest desires. So WHAT THE FUCK, PEOPLE!

 Heads need to be removed from the sand. 

Eyes need to be opened to the truth, to the consequences. 

Ears need to be attuned to what will follow, to the cries of children as they call out, "Mama, I'm afraid, Mama, hide me!"

But there is no hiding from the terrors the horrors, the devastation of war, "conventional" or nuclear.

WHAT THE FUCK!!! 

WAKE UP!!

Lest you find yourselves awakening in the midst of a living nightmare. 

No matter whatever cloak you choose, whatever name you choose.

Be afraid. Perhaps that fear will be enough to prod us into confronting our own supposed leaders who are too busy playing chicken, while the world burns. Communicate that fear, make them hear, see, make them talk with, not to each other. Perhaps then there will be peace, at least for a while.

PRECIPICES REDUX

 

 Ever wonder if you are indeed living in a true reality? Ever wonder, perhaps hopefully, that you are actually dreaming, or more correctly 'nightmaring', and a wake up is possible, desirable indeed. Neo times some exponential factor? Unfortunately, this is not the case - (or is it?). We are stuck, mired so deeply within the muck of our own making, that even people who brought us to this point are showing signs of despair and a clearer understanding of 'oh, what you have done!'

“would amend Tennessee law and designate "a person who has been issued an enhanced handgun carry permit" as a member of law enforcement. "As introduced, expands the definition of 'law enforcement officer' to include a person who has been issued an enhanced handgun carry permit; provided, that the permit is not suspended, revoked, or expired, for purposes of authority to carry a firearm under certain circumstances”

The weak in morals, the braggarts anxious to demonstrate 'heroism, the lacking in restraint, those deficient in comprehension of the rules of civilized society would jump on this ‘opportunity. Full enthusiasm. And terror and havoc would reign.

Oh yes - high noon on Fifth Avenue or Main Street, USA. Every day. Oh yes. Be afraid. Very much so. And a "Good day" to you! A situation most devoutly to be unwished. Or is that wrong in the climate of today's negativity, hostility, and brotherhood?

Of course, we could have reached this point through despair. Here we go again with yet another variant, a more dangerous one. Just as we have reached a point of saturation of having had it with the pandemic, with saying "the hell with it" as we braved entry into former behavior. Well, I am keeping my mask on for the future. For how long? Time will tell, right?

Precipices galore; everyone will find one to his/her liking. Here we are on the verge of a civilization killing WWIII. A consequence of which will have us fighting the next war with spears and sharpened staves. Another dead end for humankind. Perhaps we deserve that dead end. We most definitely have not learned anything from history. Watch us repeat it again. Take a piece of a country, like Crimea from Ukraine, and watch the nations of the world cower before the invader. Oh, yes, a new Sudetenland. 

Completing the replication of history, a video is planned to 'demonstrate' the righteousness of invasion, for the Ukrainians apparently, most egregiously, attacked the Russians!! Justify the unjustifiable, and here we go. Not a roller coaster ride with its thrills, but a real, true ride into disaster, into a world too awful to contemplate. But have it we will. And all because of us. All because we refused to acknowledge our precipice standing, our willful blindness to the truth, to the dangers around us, to the necessity for wise leaders who made wise decisions. Nope, that never happened, for our leaders, chosen and not, betrayed us, led incursions into the heretofore verboten land of revolution and treason. “If POTUS allows this to occur… we’re driving a stake in the heart of the federal republic,” read the text, described by The Post as having been sent by a member of the House Freedom Caucus, a far-right group of Republicans, who had “knowledge of the president’s planning for that day”. The precipice, its unstable crumbling edge, gave way.

A new Star Trek series is planned for debut on May 5, 2022, bringing with it "the sense of nostalgia hope, optimism, exploration and sense of adventure.” If we all are apparently yearning for that, why do we not strive to reach that goal, fulfill that yearning. Beats me. People are extremely difficult to fathom at times. Much to our dismay.

Not even a glorious Bee Gee concert last night can take away the awful taste in our mouths, the awful visions before our eyes. We most definitely are not listening to the words of these songs which plead for, speak for, a shared humanity. The words of today too often negate that call with words of violence and hostility, even when speaking of a supposed loved one.

Is there hope. There is always hope, even if only a wisp, even in the most god-awful situations. Humankind has that within its makeup. We hope and pray that it gets recognized within enough good people to resurrect itself and just possibly lead to a better outcome. Or is that wishful thinking. You decide. I know where I stand and what I hope. Are they compatible? Time will give us the answer we have chosen. One way or another.

NOW, NOW, CHILDREN

 Any teacher, no matter the level or subject, will wonder at the remarkable resemblance of current political personalities and their behavior, to that of kindergarten children first learning how to socialize and find a place within society. These kids are taught to achieve that by acceptable means, not justifying the means by the intended ends. In fact, the 'ends'   sought by these political kindergarteners and their means are verboten within the walls and on the playgrounds of schools. So, what gives?

    What gives is that we have had a massive failure, a breakdown in the system. We somehow, somewhere, forgot to instill a sense of honor within these current politicos. We lost the connection between misdeeds and consequences. We lost the grownup behavior of accepting responsibility rather than whining about others who "forced or made them" do something wrong and why weren't they punished? And why aren't the police or society recognizing their grievances, how aggrieved they are? Frankly, it is a situation that is wearying the soul and endangering the stability of all of us.

Trump whines away, shouting out lies in ever louder voice. Everybody is lying. Everybody is picking on him. It does not matter what the subject matter is, for he works on the principle of 'get away with what you can and deny all else'. Rob Peter to pay Paul, only this time Paul is actually Donald. Vehemently deny everything, even as the house of cards collapses, even as some deluded continue to believe and behave accordingly. Even as those who know better, still have functioning brains, purposely, with malice aforethought, enable this deranged man and his deranged and hate filled followers to continue on their very dangerous paths. Why? Because they, the enablers, will remain in power, actually do the steering of society, oversee its most unwelcome to the majority changes, and enrich their own coffers. Even as the bloated, disturbed figurehead bemoans his being caught with cookie crumbs around him.

 Funds are replenished by drawing from others, by lying re charities, by changing the final destination of these funds. Always better to use OPM - other people's money - and stockpile for future needs.  Maybe, sometime this decade, he and others will have to face the music, deny the consequences of their actions no longer. Make Ameria Great Again? I think not. 

This man has done some irreversible consequential damage to the fabric of our nation, so much so that I am not sure we can ever recover. Kindergarten, where we are supposed to have learned all we need to know, is a must repeat for all of these morally challenged people.

Nor does this rot end with that category of vile people, for the evil has dripped down to other levels of society, other movers and shakers who have overestimated, overvalued their worth. They behave as if others do not matter, perhaps are not even worthy of any effort to appease, to do right by them. Homes are taken, jobs are lost, funds cut where they need to be spent, and the environment is shredded. All in the name of a rather dubious 'progress'. Money does it all, excuses all, is the maxim of the day and here we all are.

Build huge developments even if it overcrowds the roads of nearby areas, to dangerous levels. Disregard the deleterious effects of these new, massive developments on the present population, of the need for trees. Just disregard it all for evidently within this new barbaric environment one can do whatever one wants. Never mind all else. Might and money make it right. So there! 

They are seemingly new kindergarteners who have yet to learn proper social behavior though they are, in fact, well past that due date. We here in CV must drive carefully between rocks and hard places. We contend with uncaring developers on one side who wish to turn a blind eye to possible, probable flooding of homes in the Village if they do as they wish. They forget the need for reassuring security for these older populations, as visions of marauding teens come to the fore. Poisoned soil dust particles? Oh, never mind, trust us, we will take care of it. Uh huh! Nothing concrete there at all. But trust us.

Nope. Cannot do. Will not do. Will continue to watch over the safety of CV population. As for the other side, those who wish to endanger, change it beyond all hope of keeping the parameters of the Village the same, welcoming to all, well, we are going to fight that as well. And yes, though we have had our 'differences' in the past, David Israel is now, perhaps a bit late, holding steady. Perhaps it is a losing battle, the little against the mighty, but we will not go down without a fight. 

Truthfully, if the Commissioners, if the Zoning Committee, would actually see through to the consequences, to the actual results, the ends of these proposed plans, well, certainly we would not have to worry. Maybe then we could trust them to have our interests at heart rather than simply looking for ways to garner more tax money for the County, even as freebies and tax handouts are given to these developers. What have we wrought?

We need a reset. We need to reschool our students. Equally so, we must reschool ourselves. We need to stop telling all that whining is okay, that blaming others is a perfectly acceptable behaviorism, that pushing punishment on others is the way to go, particularly if you skate free. 

When did this happen? Where are the parents as their kids are given this tripe? Sadly, they are supporting this as they defend the misbehavior of their own children, block them from all realization and acceptance of consequences for misbehavior. So many, too many, of us have forgotten the worth of others as we tread on them, blind to those whom we leave behind, who are apparently of no import in today's society.

Children, children! Behave now. Be grownup in your actions. But what if the grownups, the adults, refuse to do the same? Got any answers? Other than dropping the rock on those who attack the underpinnings of our society and forcing them to recognize and understand what they have done and the need and correctness of assigned consequences, I am out of all solutions. It is depressing, to say the least.

Well, thank heavens we have the Bee Gees tribute band here tonight. Music soothes the soul and I need some soothing. We all do. At least tonight, from 8- 9:30. Come join, come sing, come clap, come remember another time, another world.

COMMONALITY

 Defined as "the state of sharing features or attributes". It is generally taken as a positive point, as something to be proud of, to bask in its sharing. A commonality, or better yet, commonalities, bring people together as they share, partake of and in these commonalities.

Last night, as I sat in the theater of the Clubhouse, listening to four young men backed by four superb musicians, there was a commonality. It was a commonalty that reminded us of that once upon a time, not so long ago, when we were a nation with commonalties, positive ones, rather than the negative ones we share today. Yes, I know there were negative ones as well, always will be, but they were not flaunted, as they are today.

Were we purposely blind to the negatives of life? Perhaps. But what was so bad about that? Is it any better when the shamelessness of supposed "influencers" or, G-d help us, role models is flaunted, with people begging, striving to emulate them? What was so bad about an entire nation sharing the same songs, the same desires, the same push towards a better life for themselves and for their children? Yes, there were things wrong with society, again, always will be, but there was also a movement forward, too slow at times, but there it was.

Should we have moved faster in correcting the wrongs? Of course, but history, change, moves slowly. It needs to be digested, kept on course, for when it veers off course, the positive commonalties tend to fall by the wayside. Rather negative ones rise to a scummy surface. In the confusion of the people, the bad, the evilly intentioned, are enabled to take over, to usurp power, to throw black bags over the eyes of society, stun the brain and thinking capacities of a nation. We move sideways, and worse, downwards, backwards, abandoning too many positive commonalties, leaving them behind. Too often it then takes the equivalent of a war, too many times, to restore the positive commonalties to a badly battered nation, to a world sunk in despair and even ruin.

Why must it be so? Why do people sink into such a state of disrepair, of despair, of giving way to hatred as a shared commonality, rather than a positive one of not loving all, but recognizing that we are all the same, essentially, with shared goals and dreams, aspirations that shared progress for all, rather than hoarding it within the 1% or whatever percent, that fails in their responsibility to society.

 It used to be that the adage, "From those to whom much has been given, much is demanded". It was considered an honor to enter public service. The privileged, yes, privileged, not a dirty term, returned to society, gave back, in time, duty, responsibility, to society. We saw and boasted of a nation sharing commonalities, allowed upwards movement in society, for better lives, for our children to have better lives, to take all along with them. Shared commonalties. A better society, ever seeking to fix that which was wrong, rather than sinking into its mire, boasting of violent plans, idolizing the worst of a nation. Leaving behind that which was beautiful, worthy of a world's admiration. And what was so wrong about that? 

Yes, we had to move forward. We needed to change wrong attitudes towards those who did not necessarily tread "approved" paths through life. But change it did. It is better, though in the past half decade or more, unfortunately, we have fallen into the negative, with those who are "different", as we define different, are becoming targets of sharp words, of hideous hatred. This is a commonality we should long ago have left abandoned by the wayside. The wounds are large, deep, inimical to a positive society, and what the hell are we doing?

Why can we not return to a time when we shared similar thoughts, enjoyment of music, so much so, that last night we returned to that time and sang along, even moved along, with creaky voices, creaky bodies, but the commonality was there. The smiles were there. The simmering hatred that seems to be covered over with a very thin, failing veneer, was trod upon. Neglected and forgotten in the moment. We forgot our ever growing and emphasized vicious differences, our lack of tolerance for otherwise thinking. 

 Society began to sing of a changing world, of changing commonalities, shattered ones. "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?'" and answered it ourselves. "Joltin' Joe has left and gone away, hey, hey, hey." No, Pollyanna thinking has no place here. We cannot avoid the knowledge that we also shared commonalties of negativity and worse. The difference? We acknowledged those errors rather than embracing them. We allowed, made room, for changing society, for better commonalties, for those which lifted rather than destroyed. Today, we boast of evil, teach kids to hate, emphasize the differences, and subsume G-d into the equation by shouting that this is what He wants. Most manifestly not so. The truth is, that evil is a human attribute, a commonality we do indeed share, a commonality which must be reformed.

As we exited, after joyously shouting "Sweet Caroline", with the last echoes fading away, I wondered. Why can we not bottle this good will, these smiles, these memories? I wish we could. I do so wish that with all my heart and soul. Yes, I know we should not, cannot, return to the past. That is a negative movement. However, why can we not move forward, to a better future, to positive, shared commonalities, leaving behind that which destroys us. Allow it to fall by the wayside, to wither away, unfed by hate, untouched by blood lust, ignored by an improving, progressive, positive society.  

As the song goes, "Me and you, you and me, together...". We need to respond to the question, "How is the weather?" with a profoundly wished for, yearned for, GREAT!!!

If only we had some of that fairy dust sprinkled so liberally in the fairy tales of yore. If only we had enough among us to clap hard, to believe in fairies and our ability to create magic and fix the world.

If only......(sigh)

ANNIE IS 51

  I kid you not. That little, ever optimistic powerful voice is now 51. That Annie of color, reminding us that we all, each and every one of us, that we all are sharing, to always share, in the dream, the optimism of America, is now 51. And going strong! Last night, at the Kravis Center, that message was heard, felt, supported by every one of that cheering audience, that audience that demanded she return for yet another song. The audience that needed reassurance that we are now, and always, despite current efforts opposing us, remain true to America.

 Opening with a powerful, meaningful "I Am What I Am", the audience received that message loud and clear. America is the fulfillment of that promise, that allowance and acceptance to be who and what we are. It allows for diversity, for similarities and differences. Despite contrasting messages of recent years. Despite, in spite, of the disgusting messages being sent that Amerika will replace America. Despite a Hawley openly selling mugs with his hateful raised fist and words of encouragement on Jan 6, supporting the rebels, the insurrectionists. The traitors, those who wish to destroy us. As we were told "Nazis are bad. Nazis are bad."

Audra McDonald sang of the reciprocal joys of making someone happy, of loving others, even as we love, and approve of who and what we are, what we build and protect. What we will become, now and well into the future. That soaring, rich, powerful, operatic soprano rang the rafters and touched the hearts and souls of those present. The approval was loud and clear. The thirst for good news, for optimism, was deep and relief was given, loud and clear.

I was hoping for the iconic "Tomorrow" but did not get it in song version. I understand. That naive, American optimism, that hope, that knowing, that tomorrow was only a day away, has been washed too many times, has faded. It can be given new life, but only if we remember what this country is, was and always will be. It cannot be stated and emphasized often enough. Even if we stumbled and fell along the way. That tomorrow was always just a day away. Now, perhaps the distance is more like miles and days away. An unfortunate situation which can be ameliorated. If we try. If we remember. If we turn away those whose words and actions are polar opposites of America, the United States of America. 

 While no "Tomorow" was sung, we were left with a message of hope and encouragement. The entire program was beautiful, replete with talent, with love for the audience, audience approval, with rapport, dignity, humor, and presence. At 51 this once Annie has matured, now recognizing life for what it is and what it can be.

 Closing with one of my all-time favorites, "Climb Every Mountain", Audra McDonald brought down the house. Amazing moment. Powerful moment. Eternal moment. Perhaps the moment, the impetus, for a better future.

"Climb every mountain,

Ford every stream,

Follow every byway,

Every path you know....

Follow every rainbow

Till you find your dream."

Perhaps, just maybe, we can look towards that tomorrow, the one that is only a day away.

BRAIN DUMPING?

  Gotta' love it. Always an opportunity to learn, even in the senior rusty years. Try it. The results can make you moan or laugh or go mad with sheer frustration. Well worth it. Keeps that brain ticking and well-oiled with new input. Might even grow some new gray cells. Nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

Today's word of the day is the title - brain dumping. Now we all know lots of people who seemingly have already dumped their brains, now moldering on some garbage heap somewhere, possibly on a compost pile, serving a purpose at last. Does give some comfort that finally, a use for political brains.

In actuality, brain dumping is a method wherein one supposedly dumps all content of one's brain onto a piece of paper, writing it all down. Humpf. I sure as shootin' would need more than one piece and extended time if typing on a computer screen.  The dumping is supposed to release the anxiety one feels, emptying the mind, allowing one to reset, prioritize, and one can just feel the Zen moment!

Actually, this is but a new name for the simple idea of knowing what one can fix and what can one not fix. Worry about what is within one's ability to cause a change, affect an issue and not about what is beyond the reality we live in. You know, like when wives tell the hubbies to worry about the big things, like world peace, nuclear disarmament, and wives will take care of the little things in life, the 'smalls' - budgeting, paying bills, deciding where the money is to be spent, where to go on vacation - you know, the smalls, the oh so important things that make up life.

Quite frankly, if I were to sit down and type out a list of all that is in my brain, running around inside the skull, it would freak me out. I would never get it done, always seeking out what I perhaps left out, lest it forever cause me anxiety! Did I leave out the next sixteen planned projects? What if I forgot one? Does that mean I must then disregard that thought? Did I purposely leave it out and what does that mean? Did I remember all the paints I need to order from Jerry's Artarama? But there it is, now dredged up from the depths of my definitely cluttered mind, so I should add it to the list, right? But I thought I had finished the list? Do I now relist? In what category? Will the list ever be finished? What if I remember something new, or a new anxiety or task arises in midday? And then? 

Oh, the anxiety level is rising, fast, faster.... I can just see the new Dr. Seuss book - Oh, the Anxiety Games - as it rhymes away the whole mess of brain dumping. Seriously, sit down and begin the task. Is the list ever done? Can we not simply list our to do list and forget the other issues. Leave Putin to the rest of the world. Turkey might actually be of use when they threaten to ally with Ukraine. Might stop Putin with a hit on his head, desperately needed.

 The pandemic? Soon we will all have had it, mostly a bad cold for the majority, like the flu, and we will stop panicking - at least until the next round of animal to human transfer comes around. So just keep those masks around, the comfy ones, the effective ones, and get on with life. Stop confusing science with idiocy and take the shots and get real, for G-d's sake - and for the sake of the rest of us.

Now I know there are some important issues we cannot leave out. An example, you ask. O, here is one. Is Justin Trudeau actually the child or grandchild of Fidel Castro? Oh, my goodness! Now where does that fit on my list? World crises? Crackpot issues? Concern re the rising level of insanity in the world? How can I fit that worry in among my concern over rising food prices? Oh, the anxiety. Rising, rising, and how do I fix it. 

Is it better to list in the morning? But what if I am running late? What if I try to write it at work - and the boss catches me!? Uh-oh. New worry. If I leave it to the prebedtime ritual, I will never get to bed or sleep if I do get into bed. Not with all that circling my brain. Now I have a headache, a majorly mammoth one. 

My conclusion? Brain dumping? Too many of us are dumping gray cells every time we start to list. Simply write a to do list, for you and for the rest of the family so they can get on with life. Always remember: There is always another day, and if not, then why worry? It will not matter! See? Simple. Now throw away that list and here is one problem you can chew on all day, comfortably, knowing it is out of your hands, so the worry is not yours to take on. Here it is.

How do we get those truckers back on the job so the supply chain creaks back to life, and we can stop gasping as the prices rise even more? What?  Are we supposed to give up eating? Seriously, write a letter to your representative, a forceful, but polite one, suggest that they expel Rand Paul for incompetence and stupidity. Then grin, smugly, for you have done your job, and get to work on what you can do. Earn that paycheck, be a good person, love your family, be a good friend, help capture the latest nut job on a plane, give some charity and off you go. You have had a good day. Tomorrow will take care of itself - tomorrow.

DEREALIZATION

  Apparently, Oak Island has moved to the internet, or at least its concept of digging for treasure, legends, whatever rocks one's boat. I love discovering new words and terms, at least for me, and then applying them to life as I see it, especially in these majorly weird times. Strap yourself in for a fun ride through the new lexicon of the times. Discover how well these terms fit into the jigsaw of modern-day life. Even right here in good old CVWPB.

What is derealization? It is a fancy term for what we already knew existed, only now a new word has been coined and all is right with the world. I wish! Defined as " a disorder sometimes associated with trauma, in which people think their surroundings are not real."  You tell me if this is such a new, world-shattering term. How many of us wish we could do that, have done that at times? There are times that we need to deny the reality we find ourselves trapped in and engage in mind games. Does it work? Perhaps, for some, for a time, but eventually reality does rear its ugly head and grows its roots.

Many of us have wished for at least a tad of derealization over the past two years. We retreated into a new reality, within our homes, within our minds and the outcome for most of us is not so good. Yes, many discovered new interests, created new realities and perceptions of reality, real or not. At the same time the reality of the outside world simply crashed and continues on this trip into a black hole of a reality which has never been as threatening since the mad days of MAD attitudes of the Big Powers. And here it is again.

Local stops first on this crazy cracked trip of ours as we venture into derealization more and more. Did we ever think that we would have as governor a person who has definitely bought into a new reality, a fascist one, for our country? Did we ever expect to have shortages of food items, manufactured products, and whoa!!! prices for new and used cars? 

Did we ever expect that our way of life here in the Village would be under attack, not from outside developers wishing to cram the county with homes, but from within. People who have benefitted from the way of life of the Village are now attempting to wrest it from us, grasp it in their hands, and basically, in a new reality of their making, toss us out. It forces or imposes a new, ugly, unwanted, unfriendly reality upon us, one that will actually destroy too many of us. That new reality is hostile to a way of life for which we worked lo through many a working year. 

There are ways to deny the derealization planned for us here in the Village. Mostly, it is the same medication applied to all boo-boos of this concept; it is participation, the opposite of "passive investment". Yup, another new one on me this morning. It is when one invests in something that depends on others doing the heavy lifting. Well, that will not work here. 

We must roust out all those passive investors within the Village, explain why their voices need to be added to our growing chorus of vehement opposition to the requested planned changes within the Village. They need to send messages of opposition, aim it at the Commissioners. We need to point out the hidden dangers these changes, if allowed, would create within the County itself. We need to point out the track record of the group wishing to create a new reality within the Village, one that has no place for us within. We need to send   postcards or email a form of it to Don Foster at UCO. We need to, must show up in force, in huge numbers, to the hearings, demand that we be seen, be heard, that the Commissioners understand, in reality, what a negative decision, no changes allowed, will mean for thousands, literally thousands.  A negative that will be a positive.

We must take that same activism and apply it to the ever growing, threatening new reality, the derealization of what we wish reality to be. We need to defend our country from its enemies - within and without. Frankly, despite all the tension re Russia and the crazed Putin who would love to be crowned Tsar of the resurrected Russian Empire, despite all that, despite China and its growing pains, our true enemy, enemies, are to be found within the very fabric of our government. We have had too many alleged traitors, even a treasonous, deranged President and enablers. Derealization has gone way too far, eaten away at our foundations for democracy, weakened it to a most dangerous level.

Passive investment will no longer work. We must be active, proactive, if we are not to lose it all. Living in a new reality, in a 'new normal' is not acceptable. Living in that hostile reality, adopting derealization as the go to cure for all the angst, the dangers, the hostility, will not do either. Not here, not in the state, the country or the world.

Like it or not, we have to defend our dreams of the 'golden years'. No one else will. It is upon us. Let us vote for those who will defend our attempts to live in a reality that is acceptable, in fact, required. IT IS UPON US. Get your delegates to vote for those within the Village who will defend our way of life. Vote for those outside who wish us to remain a democratic Republic, not a sham, not a country split into fragments, a 'Europization', if you will, a negation, of us. That cannot be allowed. It must not happen. Request your mail in ballot and mail it in, in enough time that even our oh so unbelievably slowed down post office will get it there on time, in time.

No derealization; only a realization that it is incumbent upon us to fight for our reality, here in the Village, in the County, in the State and for the Country at large. Squelch the foes. Stand proud and determined. Uphold an American tradition.

DIDJA'? DIDJA'? WELL, DIDJA'?

  For those of you who are wondering what the heck that is in the title, well, merely find an Old Brooklynite for interpretation. It is a contraction peculiar to NYC, mainly among those born and bred in Brooklyn. Did you morphed into a Brooklynese didja'. Didja'?

However, it is more than a Brooklyn contraction. Far more. It carries within it the attitude, the pugnaciousness, the challenge found in all Brooklyn people. Most often it is accompanied with an index finger pointing, jabbing, towards the recipient of the Didja'? In fact, rather than the question mark, it is better expressed with an exclamation point after it. Didja'!! It is defiant, challenging and plaintive at one and the same time.

Why this topic today? Simple. Didja' ever think that our Village would succumb to a challenge from within? Didja"!?

Did you ever think we would have to save ourselves not from developers but from those who say they came here because they loved the Village and its way of life and now plan to rob it all, take it all, destroying that very thing they purport to love?

Didja'?   Didja'?!   Didja'!!!

The Village cannot allow an intrusion of any element of exclusion. Not of gender. Not of religion.  Not of sect. Not of ethnicity. Not of anything. We will not, indeed, cannot tolerate a ghetto, even one self-created in what I, and many others, believe to be an ongoing planned campaign to attain and retain the Village for themselves.

There are ample pathways to having a private, self-contained development. Build from scratch. Renovate a deserted one or one that has fallen into disrepair. Right here in south Florida, the land of sun and heat, where podiatrists are valued, the land where refugees from the North can walk freely, swim freely, without worry of sneak attacks on their cherished way of life. Didja'! Didja' ever!!!!!

It cannot, must not, be allowed to insert this segregation into the Village. No matter how many times we are 'reassured' that they will remain a part of the village. No they won't. Common sense and following the bouncing ball tells us so. Of course, one can buy in the stores, patronize facilities on Saturday. That is, until the owners ban all commercial activity in the building on Saturday. Great service for the Village, right? Didja' ever?

As for parking, well, that point is moot. Cutting spaces, complete saturation of all remaining spaces overnite from Friday thru Saturday nite, including the traditional overflow spaces available to Villagers, and busy all weeklong, well .... pfft! There they go. There they went. Pfft! All gone. whatever. Didja' ever? Didja' ever - and read indignation, anger, worry and despair into those didja's.

We are further informed that the safety of congregants is a huge factor in the desired establishment of an internal new synagogue, even with their semi-illegal satellites already established within the Village. The timing of the crossing periods has been extended and is flexible by dates and seasons. Perhaps they should look to their penchant of walking on the road, in the dark, with dark clothing, challenging already challenged drivers. Not to mention the increased safety hazards of increased traffic at a busy intersection of the Village will cause. Safety concerns my foot!

 Didja' ever?! 

So, back to the bouncing ball. Follow the track record of this group. Read what has been done before. Where rules and regulations were violated. Where overcrowding became a huge disturbing factor. Where illegal institutions and buildings were established. Where the way of life for earlier residents was callously disregarded and ruined. Kind of like, no, exactly like, how the way of life in the Village will disappear, trod under by those unwilling to share it with others. No matter the words and promises which issue forth from them.

 The facts speak for themselves. The track record speaks for itself. So before the entire infrastructure of the Village is subsumed by newly empowered boards and delegates whose wish is not so much to serve the Village, but to serve their needs, to claim more of the 70!!! pools, to claim more facilities, to create more points of segregation, to buy out the WPRF facilities, well....

The warning is here. We need to heed it. We need to fight for our way of life. 

Didja' ever. Didja' ever think we would be engaged in battle at this age, just when we want a bit of peace and quiet. Didja' ever think that even those who have crossed swords before now unite in this battle for our Village, for our very homes. I have lost count of the many, including myself, who fear having to pack up and move. To where? Who can afford it? Who has the energy to begin that huge job, once again taking apart a life and reassembling it? We all thought that was over and done with. Didja' ever.

So.... DIDJA'?

DIDJA'?? (FINGER JABBING)

DIDJA'?!

DIDJA'!!!

DIDJA'.

Send in postcards and letters to the Zoning Commission. Make phone calls politely stating your concerns. Be here for the hearings, even returning for the day. It is that important. Make no mistake about it. Do not underestimate the forces we are facing.

Raise your voices.

Let your voices be heard.

Make your concerns loud and clear.

DIDJA'?!   WILLYA'??

JUSTIFICATION STATEMENT? PARDON ME?!

 Did I read it correctly? Hear correctly? If ever there were a misnomer, well, here it 'tis indeed. Justification? How, why, and where is there any justification for destroying the lives of thousands. All the 'because' being that someone stated he "had a dream", invoking the name of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Justification indeed. No way! 

Yesterday's Zoom meeting veered off track almost immediately, a swift demonstration of tactics used by this group in attaining their goals, in running ramshod over all opposition. Upon being granted the opening statement, the spokesman began to run down the clock. Replete with lies of commission and omission, with sheer nonsense, and dangerous arrogance. 

So, let's tackle yesterday.

-  2018 as the beginning of this plan, not really. Check the dates and actions prior to 2018.

- He had a dream? Well, so did I. So did everybody living in this Village of ours. How does his dream have immediacy and precedence, the right to destroy others in the name of fulfillment of his?

- The Medical building is in the heart of the Village, at a major crossroads, a hub of life within the Village.

- Changing its usage and configuration, will of necessity, increase traffic patterns and numbers of vehicles.

- Parking places are to be cut, increasing the search for one as patrons go to the remaining commercial ventures.

The overflow will go across the street using a turn unregulated by lights, turning into oncoming traffic and blocking traffic in both ways. Impatience will lead to injuries, accidents and worse.

-The surrounding associations and the Clubhouse will also fall prey to overcrowding as cars flow into their areas seeking parking.

- There will be no parking available Saturday, despite their stating there will be. Nope, truth is that all the spots will be taken up by the cars of worshippers, parked there overnite. Uh huh.

Exiting that same parking lot at the very same time as Villagers drive to the Clubhouse for shows will exponentially raise the danger and the probability of accidents, pileups and worse. As for the statement that most do not even drive - shame shame, are your pants afire yet? Men drive. Women no.

- The number mentioned in their statement was 3600 sq. ft for the synagogue not the '3,000' they were touting.

-No more than 150 men to use the synagogue!! Uh, we were not all born yesterday. Already way over that amount, and I refer you to the parking lot by Aitz Chaim and in the areas around the 'satellite' synagogues, those planned for, schemed for, units used as houses of worship despite all danger in occupancy and overcrowding. All over the Village.

These satellites will not vanish, even as the man speaks of "recreational' usage remaining. Say what? What recreational usage? Can we get real here?

Sunny Florida. Where it is hot most of the year. No surprise there. Yet this man speaks of the burden of walking to synagogue in the heat. Yes, it can be uncomfortable. But please do not act surprised at the heat. If you cannot stand it -well, get out of the kitchen of south Florida. Try Saskatchewan or Bismarck or the upper reaches of Maine. Not hot there.

- The dangerous Haverhill crossing? Yes, there is danger crossing a street, especially a busy one. However, one can get struck by a car crossing small streets or even standing on the side. Even here in the Village.

- The timing? Already long since taken care of by my husband who worked his usual gentle ways with others, getting revised and extended timing to cross. The person in charge even emails him to ask about timing of additional always changing days of worship so as to accommodate synagogue goers crossing Haverhill.

- Again, if one knew there were no synagogues within the Village and determined that was inimical to this 'dream' then why buy here?

- Ditto for the pools. If one knew there were no separate swimming pools, nor hours, and none to become available, then why buy here only to cause aggravation and anti-Semitism within the Village?

- Uh,70 pools in the Village? Uh, where are they? I truly would like to know.

No using of the pools as mikvehs? There it is, deep in the recesses of time, yup, becoming ever clearer, ever more distinct, the actual pictures of men using OUR pools as mikvehs, climbing naked into them. Yuck! Some dream they have; some dream we had.

By the by, the rule is upon the men to avoid swimming with women, not women with men. Oops!

The 'library', or as is known truly - a bet midrash - will raise the vehicular traffic ALL day long, will result in 'visitors' from outside being invited in and there is no stopping that, and the rise in dangerous amounts of people living within apartments, even the growth of illegal ongoing rental of apartments as hotel rooms.

- Oh, they are consulting experts in all areas and will abide by the rules? Since when? Since there was an attempt to build and hide a mikveh in a unit? Since apartments were renovated without benefit of proper contractors and County approval? Or by their track record of disobeying rules and regulations as they steamrolled their way through, over, under, all?

- The reference to worldwide network of buildings, exactly what worries us.

 Oh, not to forget the demanding immediacy of having, wait for it, the ultimate in dream fulfillment, the one we are awaiting with bated  breath - a podiatrist in the building so we will all be able to get our toenails trimmed. Whew! I was concerned about the absence of that possibility.  Well, hate to burst the bubble, but there are already myriad numbers of nearby podiatrists, good ones, to trim the toenails of Villagers! Puh-lease!!!

The physical presence of the lot, well, a two-story addition -beside or atop - not clear - but certainly a change in the skyline of the Village and inviting more traffic to use that additional space.

Behind the building? There is no behind any building, invisible, within the village. The open sweeps of it, its layout, has every side of every building in sightlines. There will be a massive change here, and not a pretty one. Certainly, ugly tall fences where there were none before is not a dream factor, but rather one of nightmarish quality.

Pools near the shoreline? Asking for trouble, particularly when overseen by overseers more honored in the breach, in the absence, than in the presence, abiding by the rules. Sorry, but the track record is there. Here in the Village an in other well-known areas of the country.

- The threat this unprecedented building of a huge synagogue within the heart of the Village presents is huge. Why not a church for every sect of Christianity. Not to forget Hindu, Buddhism, Bahai, Shia, Sunni, Humanists, atheists, freethinkers, every sect of Judaism, and of course Wicca. Each one restricting attendance or rights of usage and pathways - only for them and not for others. Such a great Village that would be!!

Seriously, how dumb are we supposed to be.

My dream. A dream of living in a heterogeneous development where I am able to meet people of different walks of life, form friendships, learn different things, develop new interests, walk freely throughout the village without being overwhelmed by the dream of others.

Like it or not, the building of this synagogue will mean a cataclysmic change for the Village. It will draw huge numbers of new Chassidic purchasers, investment purchasers, will overwhelm and outbid all, and like it or not, realize it or not, the Village will change. There will be an uneasiness when one wishes to walk clad in 'immodest' clothing. There will be an intimidation, already is by cavalcades of tricycles endangering pedestrians as rules of safety are ignored. No beep beep. No toot toot. No horn. No whistle. No warning voice.

 Not my dream. I refuse to allow my dream to fall prey to the dreams of others. That is not the right way for dreams to be fulfilled.

Most certainly not. And think of the additional side effects.

Shows will certainly be decreasing, attendance not enough to carry the cost. How about new shows- lectures by Chassidic rabbinical figures or separate seating concerts by Chassidic performers? Or, how about if this group buys the Clubhouse, buys all WPRF facilities? Part and parcel of very real probabilities within the near future. Your dream? Forget it. Dead on the wayside. If we do not have a clear presentation, a convincing presence, before the Zoning Commission, we are doomed. This group seeking to destroy our dream must not prevail. 

Hoping. Praying. Worried. Very much so. And why the hell do we need a restricted facility on our grounds, in the heart of the Village. I do not care who owns the physical site. The whole thing is wrong. So conducive to nasty things. It must be defeated. 

A postscript. This has nothing to do with anti semitism in opposing this proposal, at least not in the beginning. I am an Orthodox Jewish woman and along with many Orthodox people, want no part of this at all in my dream, in my Village. There are other areas in nearby south Florida that allow for the fulfillment of their dream without destroying mine. However, if this persists, the ugly, destructive and poisonous head and fangs of anti Semitism will grow apace. 

This must be avoided. It must.