Another Mass Shooting Comes Less Than 24 Hours After the El Paso Walmart Mass Shooting

Tragedy strikes again with another mass shooting this weekend. This one is not to be confused with the earlier mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.  Amazingly, before I even got a chance to publish the blog entry this morning about yesterday’s mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, there was yet another major mass shooting – the fourth one this week in the United States! 

This one was in Dayton, Ohio, at the Ned Peppers Bar in the Oregon district (not to be confused with the state of the same name). At the time that I am writing this, the most recent reports were the nine people had been killed, and sixteen others injured. There are no further details emerging yet at this time for what is – again, at the time of my writing this at about 5:00 AM EST – still a breaking story. 

No word as of yet about the shooter, or the motivations behind the crime. Police reported that this district in Dayton is usually a fairly safe area, and that this is almost unheard of in Dayton. Many officials and locals were saying the same thing in El Paso after the Walmart shooting there. 

Again, my sympathies to the victims and their families.

The Weather Provides a Pleasant Birthday Gift

It was my birthday a couple of days ago.

And while I am not exactly rejoicing about being another year older and, paraphrasing Pink Floyd, being that much closer to death, I nevertheless had an enjoyable day.

It happened to be a day that I had off from work. Not that I specifically took it off, but rather was the product of my quirky, admittedly unusual schedule.

My girlfriend woke up early, and very tired, having to go to work, of course. We usually fall into a routine at this point on Wednesday mornings.

She asks me why I am up, almost every time. I answer, also almost every time, that it is usually pointless to stay in bed, because I will not fall back asleep. Maybe a nap later on will help, but at that point, it is just as well simply to get up and do something. 

What I usually do is go on the computer and write. Specifically, I usually write something for this blog.

Such was the case this past Wednesday, no what turned out to be probably the most active day for "The Charbor Chronicles". 

I finished up the piece that I had been long working on, and which took me longer, even much longer, than any other single entry before. it was about hypocrisy in marijuana policy, and the pros greatly outweighing the cons in regard to legalization of pot. 

Also, there was a piece on Gandhi, honoring his birthday. Then, there were a whole bunch of articles, as well as "On This Day in History". Before I knew it, I had been sitting before the computer for three hours or so!

It was a beautiful day weatherwise, and one of the things that I had definitely wanted to do was go out and enjoy the weather. There was even one place specifically that I had in mind: nearby Duke Farms. 

But when I went there, it was closed. It is always closed on Wednesdays, evidently.

Strange.

So, instead, I went slightly further, and read by a riverside, enjoying the sunny, spectacular day. The weather really was as ideal as you could ask for. Probably in the eighties, but not humid. The sun shining, but not bearing down relentlessly on you. Just a perfect kind of day, you know?

I read a book on Gandhi, as well as continuing Stephen king's latest, "Doctor Sleep". 

Eventually, after a couple of hours, I returned back home, and waited for her to come back to me.

We went out that evening, and ate at an outdoor restaurant in Somerville. It was a beautiful evening. Again, the weather was perfect. Could not have been more ideal.

It was a couple of days ago as I write this. Specifically, it was this past Wednesday, October 2nd. 

The last few months have been fairly rough, on several levels. But when you get a chance to forget your problems, even for a little while, and enjoy something like this, I think it's good to focus in on that, and stay positive. That's what I am trying to do, and so I figured it would be nice to reflect on a nice day.

And if you decide that you want to get me a gift for my birthday, I will accept. Please feel free to contact me, and remember, the more expensive the gift, the happier this blogger is apt to be!

Summer's Over

Just figured I'd write a little something, even if it is a short blip, about the end of summer, and the beginning of the fall season.

That's right. it's time to put away the swimming trunks and sun tan lotion, at least for another year.

I had a good summer, and hopefully, so did you on your end.  But it's over now.

Truth be told, of course, it always feels to me like summer is realistically over on the evening of Labor Day, when people go to bed ready for the regular school year to start. Vacations suddenly become much less common. The weather grows significantly cooler, even if, technically, there are still usually three weeks of official summer left.

Later today, at 4:44pm specifically (16:24), summer will officially yield to the autumn. Before long, we will enjoy the privilege of colorful fall foliage. The days are still relatively warm, at least mild, but the nights have been cool, sometimes bordering on cold. That trend will only continue and strengthen. Fall is here.

Before long, the trees will be bare of their leaves, and that gray-brown of late fall will begin to resemble the encroaching winter, although there is still a bit of time before that. Until then, the fall is one of the most pleasant times of the year, and I hope to be able to enjoy it! Hopefully, so will you!

Happy autumn!

Summer's End

So, another summer has gone, and the fall season will soon be upon us.

Maybe I am getting older, and each summer passes by more quickly than the last. But this summer seemed to really fly by even quicker than I expected (or wanted).

It was just getting warm, and May spun around. Before I knew it, May had passed, and June was here.

Great! My girlfriend and I were going on a trip to Poland, a trip we had been planning for many months. And here's the thing: when you plan for something like that for so long, somehow, inexplicably, it feels like it should last longer than it does.

But the trip just absolutely flew by. It was depressing. We both talked about how it seemed we had just arrived, still jet lagged, and half the trip was already over. True, we did a lot. But that only makes it feel more like a sped up blur of events.

Neither of us were happy on our return, I can tell you that much.

But back we were, and most of June was gone. Before long, it was July.

And much like the trip, somehow, I half expected the summer to slow down, as well. But before I could get used to it being July, it was gone, too.

August was here. And it was late summer already. later in the month, I would take a trip with my son. Later in the month, I was supposed to meet a friend that I had not seen for well over a decade. There would be swimming, and also, a bit of overtime at work. Preseason football games, when the tickets are more available and far cheaper, and the weather generally more accommodating.

It felt like it should all slow down.

But it did not. August flew by, perhaps the fastest month of all. I'm not sure why, because on some levels, it was not a very good month for me. Car problems cost me an unexpected $700 plus. This proved costly, and my trip was suddenly in jeopardy. About a week before departing, I seriously entertained cancelling the whole thing. I didn't, because it seemed it would be unfair to my son. Plus, I felt in need of a break, myself, admittedly. But the thought was definitely there.

The dates for the trip rushed to us, and then, quite predictably, the trip itself rushed by.

Suddenly, it was the final weekend of the summer. Unbelievable!

I worked on Sunday, like always. I had been invited to a barbecue, but was to tired, recovering not just from the long drive back on Saturday, but also from the overnight shift I worked right after. Tired did not cover it. So, the barbecue was not in my future for that day, unfortunately. One thing I found out, though - it was postponed until next Sunday, the rain date. So, maybe I will get the privilege of enjoying one last taste of summer after all.

But Monday was Labor Day, and then, summer would all but officially be over. I wanted to make sure to bring my son swimming at Wawayanda Lake one last time. He made such progress with his swimming this year, and I was so proud of him! Plus, swimming is fun! So, we went, likely for the last time this year.

And now, I write this. the extra money from the overtime hours (and there were quite a few) are all pretty much gone, after so much in car expenses. Money is short, but there is no more overtime on the horizon that can be seen, because everyone already took their summer vacations. My son starts school tomorrow.

Officially, there are still three weeks of summer, but they never really feel like summer, do they? That lightness of summer is gone. The days are not as hot, and the nights will begin to be downright cool, soon enough. Not that I am complaining about this, because I prefer the milder weather, honestly. Sure, I'll miss the swimming, and wearing t-shirts, shorts, and sandals. But the fall is nice, weatherwise. No complaints.

That said, the shorter days are a bit depressing. It gets dark noticeably earlier. The leaves will change colors soon, and not much later, they will be stripped from the trees altogether. And the dead brown and gray of late fall will be here, too - the precursor to winter.

Sigh.

I actually don't mind winter, or generally did not in the past. But I am not a big fan of driving in snowy conditions, let alone hail or ice storms. The cold does not bother me as much as most people, although it can be a drag to feel the need to bundle up on especially cold days, especially when it has been months. I have always found that winter holds a certain charm up to and including the holiday season. It feels right up until then, and really gives that holiday feel. But by February, most everyone just wants the winter to end, already.

Yet, all of that is in the future, yet. It is only the day after Labor Day yet. My son has one more day of freedom, before school resumes. And the weather is not too bad. A little rainy, maybe, but i don't actually mind the rain either. There is a lot to look forward to, actually.

Although I have to admit, a part of me still longs for the longer summers of my childhood, when it meant freedom from school, light clothing, and fun at summer camp, with swimming as the cherry on top!

Back From Short Trip

If you follow my blog page, you may have noticed the strange timing of the "On This Day in History" for August 30th, which was released on the 29th. This was because I went on a short trip with my son, and wanted to make sure to get that particular day done.

Also, you might have noticed that I did not post anything yesterday. That also is due to the trip. I had no internet access while there.

My son and I went on a short trip to the Buffalo/Niagara Falls/Toronto region, from this past Thursday, until Saturday.

It was a lot of fun, and I intend to write quite a bit more about it later.

For now, my fatigue has won out, and I will leave it at that for this particular blog entry, with further details about the trip to come a bit later.

Thanking everyone in advance (too presumptuous?) for your patience!

Trouble With the Car

I would not normally add this kind of topic to my blog, but it is just so damn frustrating, and perhaps I need this as an outlet.

About one week and a half or so ago, on Tuesday, I hung out with an old friend of mine. We had not seen each other in over ten years. Of course, he now lives in New Mexico, so that is part of the reason why. Yet, even when he lived in New Jersey, towards the end, we were not keeping in touch as much as we should have done.

One advantage to Facebook is that you can get in touch with old friends like that, and one way or the other, we became Facebook friends. We chatted every now and then, and said hi. But nothing to huge or mind blowing. Still, you can keep up with one another's life - or at least as much as one would be willing to share with Facebook friends. That is, of course, one of the major advantages (to say nothing of disadvantages) with Facebook.

Of course, sometimes, you get people who share too much, including personal drama. You know the kind I mean, right? Sharing what they are eating for lunch or dinner right now, or revealing that they are drunk, or having a suddenly very public feud with friends or family. That, of course, can be way too much. Far more than you want to know about anyone, right? We all have our own problems, after all.

In any case, we were hanging out, and I was driving us around in my car, without a problem.  Everything seemed cool.

But the next day, as I was driving to work, the "Check Engine" light went on. A couple of times, actually.

My assumption was that maybe it had to be the oil. When it cooled down, I opened the hood up and checked the oil, ready to add the bottle that I had gotten, which would be enough to get by before actually changing the oil for real. But the oil level was okay. In fact, everything seemed to be okay.

Maybe, I hoped, it was just some sort of a fluke.

So, I drove it home after work. Maybe five to ten minutes later, it stalled.

Shit.

I sat there for a moment, my heart suddenly beating rather fast, and that nervous feeling in your stomach growing. Tried to start it again, and it turned on immediately.

Driving again, and managed to get to the Garden State Parkway, although I was perhaps the slowest driver out there, nervous that it would stall out on me. A few minutes of driving, and I was cut off by someone who quite suddenly, inexplicably, felt it necessary to take the exit from the lane to the left of me, forcing me to slam on my breaks.

The car stalled again. It was not a surprise.

Now, I was really nervous. Already starting to have gone too far to turn back, and having a long way to go home, I tried the engine again, and it came on immediately.

The rest of the drive was relatively uneventful. Yes, I had to go slow, and was pretty much among the slowest drivers on the road. But, I got home safely enough, without it stalling out.

But clearly, it was time to bring it to the shop.

Which I did. I managed to drive it over there, once it had cooled down. I suggested some of the things that it could

(could)

         be.

Perhaps the oil, because it was overdue for an oil change. Perhaps the battery was due for a change, as well, although the car turned back on again. Also, some of the belts needed replacing from last time. I said that if it the problem was not too expensive, then maybe might as well take care of the belts this time, as well.

Basically, these were suggestions. I asked them to look at the car, and see what they thought. Identify the problem (hopefully), and then tell me how much.

Within a few hours, they called back. They had changed the battery and the belts. The car was working again.

Problem was, I could not go then, because I had commitments, and was a good hour away. The chances of making it by closing time were slim to none. Plus, this was Friday, and I work a chaotic schedule on weekends, so it would have to be Monday morning.

Okay, so I enjoyed a good weekend, basically by trying hard not to think too much about the car. But Monday came, reality came, and it was time to pick up the car. Paid the bill (almost $400), and also paid for the car that I had rented for the weekend (which put my expenses, all told, at over $500, between the car rental and the repairs).

Yes, that's a lot of money, but at least I wouldn't have to worry about the car again for a good long while.

Or so I thought.

A good long while wound up being approximately the ten to fifteen minute drive back. The Check Engine light went on when I was at a stop light. Maybe five or so minutes later, it stalled. I was half a mile from home.

It stalled three more times before I reached that destination.

I was nervous, but also angry. Called my mechanic, and asked how it could be that, after paying a fairly hefty bill, the car did not even make it a full ten minutes of driving without indicating some problem? He had trouble believing me. I told him that it was nice to see  a new battery and belts when I popped the hood, but little good it did me if I was unable to drive the damn thing.

The car had to cool down, and so I let it, figuring I could drive it back.

Hours later, the engine was still too hot. The car did turn on, but it was not driveable. This would have to wait.

Tuesday proved to be a busy day. I did try to get the car going, but now, although it started up just fine, and ran fine, it would stall out as soon as you put it in gear.

Shit.

Now, my nervousness was growing more severe, to outright fear.

There were a series of complications to getting the car there, and I tried to keep my mechanic abreast of this. At some point, he kind of chuckled, and mentioned that he really wanted to see the car when it was not working (since it had been working while at the shop, was what was not stated, but strongly implied). My anger was starting to grow.

It's hard to find a good mechanic, one you can trust. My family used to have one just a short distance from home, but that eventually turned sour, when he seemed to turn greedy in a hurry. Then, we found this one. He seemed to be honest, more or less. The whole family seemed impressed, and we began to go to him.

But little by little, we all stopped going to him. As it turns out, I was the last holdout. Everyone else has had experiences that soured his reputation. Now, so have I. The thing is, the last few times I took my car there, I did not have the same good feeling, that same confidence, that I once used to have with him.

If I did not think that he would give me some reduced price, because I spent so damn much on things that were not actually the problem this time around, I would likely have just gone somewhere else altogether.

The thing is, I am not a mechanic, and very limited when it comes to cars. I know some problems well, such as overheating, because pretty much all of the cars that I have driven have, at one point or other, overheated. Hell, I have even had instances of being in the cars of friends, and having their cars overheat. So, over time, i learned something about it, obviously. I still often carry extra coolant, just in case. Just out of habit.

Now, I am worried. It could prove to be a smaller problem than expected, and not be gigantic. I would gladly pay the bill, and hope that the car holds out a few months - enough time for me to save up some money again.

My suspicions, however, are that this time, the problem is considerably larger. That this time, the bill is going to be huge, and leave me with the question of whether this car - a 1999 Toyota Camry - is worth fixing, or whether I should begin the process of looking for another car. I loved that car when I got it almost a year and a half ago, and for a decent price, to boot.

But it is too old a car to put thousands into it, because other problems could pop up eventually. It's just too much of a risk.

So, here it is, another weekend. Last weekend, I was nervous because of car problems. This weekend, I am more so, because the problems might be more serious. The mechanic obviously did not have much more of a clue about what was wrong with it then I did, and that is troublesome. And my mind, my imagination, already quite active, is running in overdrive (perhaps to make up for the fact that my car is hardly running at all now), and all sots of troublesome possibilities are coming to it.

Yes, last weekend, it was bad, but I was able to keep the worry in the back of my mind. This weekend, it is front and center. Next weekend, I am supposed to take a trip with my son, just before school starts. I almost canceled it, but decided to go ahead, since I had already taken days off and made reservations. The focus will have to be on keeping expenses down, though. More than ever.

As for the car, the mechanic told me, once again, that I should hear from him by Monday. Tuesday at latest.

Let's wait and see what happens. What else can I do about it right now, anyway?

One thing I am almost positive of: this will be the last time he will see any car of mine in his shop.

A Conversation About....Boobs

As a guy, I can hardly profess to be an expert on women, and their experiences. I can't speak to the experience of PMS, and the infamous mood swings and other peculiarities that women are always mentioning in relation to this.

I also don't know what it is like to have boobs and, apparently, I know less about boobs than I initially thought.

Now, I love boobs! I won't go into detail about it right now, and refuse to mention my preferences, one way or the other, after reading this article. Too personal, you know? I have preferences, believe me. And boobs have always fascinated me. I hardly think myself unique among men for this.

Yet, perhaps I never gave them much serious thought before. But this article really was an eye-opener. There were a couple of things that were pretty much common sense. The whole men who don't want children prefer smaller boobs -although I hardly know any men who will admit to liking women with smaller boobs. For most men, at least outwardly, the preferred taste would be the bigger, the better. But if there are men who would indeed prefer smaller breasts, why wouldn't it be those who have no interest in having children. Makes sense.

There are some facts, however, that came as a surprise, even almost a shock. In particular, I am referring to the two facts about health. Those seemed amazing to me.

Needless to say, I am going to show this article to my girlfriend, so that she understands that my fascination is purely for both of our health benefits!

Think she'll buy it?


"The 9 Weirdest Facts About Boobs Society’s continuous fascination with breasts has led to a bunch of quirky scientific studies over time with some wacky findings you wouldn’t believe"

An Alternet article by Jodie Gummow…
http://www.alternet.org/sex-amp-relationships/9-weirdest-facts-about-boobs

I Have to Say It Was a Good Day...

You have to count your blessings when you can. And yesterday, I had a good day. Plenty to celebrate, plenty to smile about. Those days do not happen all the time. In fact, they often feel like they are few and far between. So, it is time to be thankful, and even to reflect.

It did not appear that it would necessarily be a special day. After all, it was Monday. And although Monday is not for me the bad news that it is for many, if not most, people, I actually personally look forward to Mondays, because it is my weekends that are filled with more work time than any other part of the week. So, usually, I actually wind up looking forward to Mondays.

But that said, I had to work some extra hours at my job, and that made it grueling. I appreciate the extra hours, with the chance at extra pay. Yet, it is not too fun to go through while working them, and it threw my entire schedule off. I would get very little sleep. That is what it would mean.

True enough, too. I was not wrong about that. But I did manage to get a bit of a hike in. A short, and very unstrenuous hike, so as not to make my current issues with sciatica flare up again.

I managed a couple of hours of sleep after that, but then had to pick my son up from camp. It was hard to wake up fully, but somehow, I managed.

Now, usually, I make a point of at least trying to take him swimming at Wawayanda Lake on Mondays in summer time, but was hesitating yesterday. It was not that hot, I rationalized. Maybe next week, when I am not loaded with overtime.

Eventually, I was able to pull myself out of that rut, and bring him. Boy, was I glad I did, too!

For the last two or so years, my attempts to teach him how to swim had proven to lack any measure of success. We had signed him up for special classes, and he takes daily instructions in summer camp, to boot. Yet, it was all to no avail, because he still really did not know how to swim.

My frustrations had been mounting, because of this. But the last time that I had taken him to Wawayanda (almost two weeks ago), there had been some considerable progress. I had told him to float on his back, and concentrate on his breathing. Finally, this lesson seemed to resonate, and he had been able to float for maybe a full minute or two.

So, I had been wanting to follow up on this success, to make sure that the lesson was brought home. That was the main motivation for going swimming yesterday, specifically.

At first, he was being all goofy. He tends to always be in the mood to joke around, to laugh, and to be a little boy, which he is. But there are times when you need to get serious, and I lost my patience. He understood quickly that I meant business. Today was the day that I wanted him to learn, once and for all, how to swim.

There were things that I kept reiterating, trying to pound the point home by repetition. Concentrate on your breathing. Never panic. If you are in control of your breathing, there is nothing left to fear. Everything else will simply fall into place. So, just breathe. Whenever you feel the water closing in, rising on your face if you are floating on your back, take a deep breath, and you will rise again.

It worked. Much better, I might add, then ever before. He floated. Not for ten or twenty seconds, or even a minute. He floated for as long as he liked, and was able to move his arms around, so that he actually was moving. So he actually was swimming, if even on his back.

Next, I told him to do the same while facing front. I stood maybe fifteen feet (five metres) away, and told him to concentrate on his breathing. The first time, he fought. I could see it on the expression on his face. I told him to stop fighting. To simply relax, and remain in control. Breathe, and focus on the breathing. His technique improved, and he began to actually swim!

I was, and still am, so proud of him!

Then, we sat by the lakefront, which is truly idyllic. Beautiful. The weather could not have been more accommodating. And I managed to finish the book that I had been reading, "Norwegian by Night", by Derek B. Miller. It was one of the best books that I had read in years, and among the very finest books that I have actually ever read. More on that later, as I intend to write a blog about it in the near future.

So, things were going well at that point. But I still wanted him to read to me.

Last academic year, he had all sorts of problems at school. I could relate, because I was pretty much the same when younger. Too much energy, and an inability to channel all that excess energy in an appropriate or successful manner. It was getting in the way of everything. His behavior seemed to deteriorate, and so did his academic work. it was causing problems, to say the least. There were meetings.

Eventually, everyone felt that all options had been exhausted, and we looked into some prescriptions to calm him down. I was the last holdout, being rather vehemently opposed to it. But eventually, I yielded, as there seemed no other solution.

This was the beginning of the summer. As it turns out, maybe it was indeed for the best. His reading has improved, and not just by a little. It seems that he can read far, far better than he did really only weeks ago. He shows more confidence, and far more ability. He can read with fluidity, and he did it again last night, too. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I was so proud of him!

So, that's it! I realized that these kinds of days do not happen too often, so why not appreciate them when they are there to be appreciated? After all, sometimes, you get so bogged down with life, and the everyday stresses, that there seem to be little else. It all seems to be so stressful and annoying, and you cannot see any real signs of progress. Things always seem to be the same, one way or the other.

And then, you might get a day that, when you think about it later, just feels magical. I hesitate to use that word, because it sounds almost....well, silly. But there was recognition that yesterday possessed some very positive qualities to it that most days do not, and it feels necessary to express my gratitude, and to enjoy the moment while it lasts.

A morning in the life...

I was the first one to wake up, in the early morning hour, when the trace of the morning light is still weak, and hardly overpowering. Or, maybe it was going to be an overcast day again, and the light would remain weak, although surely not as weak as at that precise moment.

My sciatic nerves have been acting up lately, but the pain was not so intense this morning. There had been a bit of tossing and turning in the evening, when we both turned in, but that had not been like some of those terrible other times, when the level of pain was quite intense, and easily enough to prevent me from getting comfortable enough to actually sleep. Before I knew it, sleep had overtaken me. I awoke briefly some time after four in the morning, and had that short-lived fear, for that minute or so, that sleep would not find me again this night. Only it did, and the next time I awoke, it was just after six in the morning. The temptation to roll over and sleep some more was strong, and likely, I could have done it, too. But that would, of course, not be a good idea. Time to get up.

I looked over at her, and she is still battling the fatigue and sleepiness, as well. It is a battle that she appears to be losing. And I wonder how it is that she never uses an alarm clock, and still manages to oversleep less (even far less) than I do. It looks for a little while like she might oversleep, but I am up, and so is the dog. She will be up before too long. We snuggle a little bit, but if we remain in that position, one or both of us will be asleep before long.

It is time to get up. The pain in my leg is not a shooting pain, so much as it is a dull throb. Well, actually, it is a bit more amplified than a dull throb, but I nonetheless try to minimize the hold that this physical pain has had on me just lately, mostly in an attempt to feel better. I had a far more intense battle with sciatica four years ago, and that had been excruciating. I could not remain in the same position for very long at all. I could not stand for too long, and would have to sit down. Then, after sitting, I would have to get up. I could not lie down in the same position for too long, as well, which made sleeping difficult. As you can probably tell, this made life considerably more difficult and stressful than it should be, and it was not fun.

So, perhaps looking for any and every sign of a full recovery from the recent spat with problems with sciatica is natural, so there will not be a worry about it growing worse than it is. It is nowhere near what it felt like four years ago. But it is also far more troublesome than I normally feel, on an everyday level, and I just want it gone.

Getting up, the pain is not so bad, and I don't even have to limp to the bathroom.

When I go to the computer and sit down, the pain is a bit more apparent, but still not severe. I turn the computer on. It is slower than it normally is. Then, it tells me it is going on power save mode.

Damn it! What the hell?

I turn it back on. Repeat the process two more times, but it finally goes on, even if a little sluggish. I check Facebook, and then I check my email. Upon signing in, it asks me if I would like to upgrade to a newer, better application. I just did this, after it relentlessly asked me the same thing every single time I had to sign in. Accidentally, I might add, to. It was when I just wanted to get in my email, and probably did not have patience to go through the process of skirting around their alleged improvements. Now, they want me to scrap the old for the new once again, most likely to get me eventually to pay money for more storage space, or more conveniences, or whatever. Pay for services that were always free before, like they have done with water, and radio, and television. Those things used to be free of charge. But now? You have to pay for them.

It is almost a surprise that the internet is not the same way.

She has gotten up by this point, and makes oatmeal for both of us. Usually, I am on the computer by this point anyway. She will eat her oatmeal while listening to her radio, walk the dog, and then finish her makeup before leaving for work. In the meantime, I am working on the blog, or on other writing. It feels weird, somehow. She is getting ready for a day at work, and although we both work office jobs (two apiece, in fact), this always makes me feel like a lazy ass. It shouldn't, but it does, somehow. I mean, I work two jobs, and have for ten years, now. And I'm doing my best to raise a son, while dealing with so many other aspects of life's stress. And this is one of my day's off. This, and Friday night into Saturday. It is hardly a dream schedule, but it is nonetheless a far better one than what I used to have. I appreciate my days off, and like to try and mix the need to feel like I am doing something productive with the desire to relax and recharge my batteries. It is a need sometimes, isn't it? Why should I feel lazy? Yet, I do. There you have it.

This morning will be a little different. Her car was acting up, and we took it to Pep Boys, to get a diagnosis. She feels sad about this. Money is a problem, and surely, fixing the car is a big worry, because it might cost a lot of money, which is in short supply. Once again, she is talking about going back home to Poland, where she says life was simpler, easier. She did not have physical pains. Yes, she has them, too. Not the same ones, and perhaps not as severe (although who knows?), but she definitely has them. All part of the process of growing older. Such a joy!

In any case, I have to drive her to work and back today. No big deal, the drive is all of five minutes. I envy her such an easy commute. She could walk there in less time than it takes me to drive to my job, if she wanted to. Mine is hardly so close or stress-free.

I am about to put my shoes on. Shoes that she chose for me for the trip to Poland that we took last month. They are more like sandals, actually. They are so comfortable, that they made me almost forget my sneakers. Until recently, that is. We had heavy rains, and I rather foolishly wore them, and got them soaked. They did not dry easily, and they made my feet smell whenever I wore them. She urges me not to wear them. I tell her not only am I going to wear them, but when I return back home, I am going to walk all over the pillows, as well. At least her pillows. I will rub my feet against all of her beautiful clothes in the closets. I will even try on all of those lovely shoes, and make sure they smell.

She assures me she is going to beat my ass if I do any of those things. I secretly love when she says that to me. Not sure why, but I do. She seems to know it, too.

I drop her off, and the commute takes even less time then I thought. It might take five minutes to get there, five to come back, I had assumed. But the overall trip is probably less than ten minutes. Maybe a little over five minutes altogether. Before I know it, and before really getting into the NPR news, I pull back into the parking lot.

The day is facing me. It has just begun, and for now, the small slate is wiped clean. It won't stay that way, but the story of this day has, for now, yet to be told...

Update for June 26

I have been talking so much about my recent trip, as well as a couple of other things, lately, that I have not had time for many things that are interesting and deserve some attention. 

So, here is my attempt to remedy that.

 - As I wrote earlier this week, President Obama finally addressed the issue of climate change, and made certain proposals of action by his administration:

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will establish definitive carbon emissions standards for all power plants, both old and new.
• President Obama called for an end to financing of plants abroad that do not strongly regulate carbon emissions.
• He will seek an international agreement in 2015 to establish emission standards beyond 2020.
• He will aim to give favorable free-trade benefits to environmentally friendly goods and services.
• Obama also proposed to collect data on climate-related issues, such as the storms that seem to be growing in severity as well as number. 

The response has been more or less predictable. John Boehner expressed outrage, and said that the focus on the environment would cost businesses money, and would cost Americans jobs. But many people expressed happiness that he was finally taking action on a very important issue that often gets swept under the rug. Democrats by and large were supportive, and the scientific community generally was supportive, although more often than not, they were quick to point out that more, much more, needs to be done. Still, they applauded the President for this crucial first step. You can read some of the reactions in the Yahoo article take from LiveScience, "Voices: Experts & Analysts Weigh in on Obama's Climate Change Plan", by Denise Chow, Staff Writer of Live Science

http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/25/19119744-obama-aims-to-sidestep-congress-with-new-initiatives-to-reduce-carbon-emissions?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=4%20%20target=

http://news.yahoo.com/voices-experts-analysts-weigh-obamas-climate-change-plan-124418265.html;_ylt=A2KJ2Ui2wMtRCmoAoQTQtDMD

 - The big news that many people are talking about today is the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of extending gay rights, but fell short of outright ruling in favor of gay marriage. So, it is a case of each side seemingly getting a bit of what they want, which seems to be a trend with the Supreme Court in quite a few big, highly publicized cases. 

 - In Texas today, there was the 500th execution since the state reinstated the death penalty in 1976. They put to death one Kimberly McCarthy, 52., who had been found guilty of murdering Dorothy Booth, then cutting off her ring finger to get the diamond ring on it, which she then pawned. She was the first woman to be executed in three years. 

 - Ex-New England Patriots Wide Receiver Aaron Hernandez has apparently been arrested now on murder charges. That was something that seemed to feel inevitable since very early on, when this case became public. 

Sports

- Stanley Cup Finals - Well, a great Finals series has ended between the two Original Six teams that made it to the Cup Finals. The two teams were fairly evenly matched, and brought out the best that the sport has to offer. Both teams had won the championship recently (Chicago in 2010, Boston in 2011), and both were hoping to come a step closer to a dynasty. Boston had a bruising style of play, and looked damn tough throughout the year, including these playoffs. Halfway through this series, they held a 2-1 series edge, and looked very capable of taking the whole thing. But Chicago, who have been red hot and on record pace all season, managed to get things in order, taking Game 4 on the road to even the series, then holding serve in Game 5, before finally clinching it in Game 6. The Chicago Blackhawks are probably the most dominant team that hockey has seen in some time, and with their second championship in four seasons, they now seem to be fulfilling their potential destiny, and have taken the lead for dominance in this era over some tough rivals. They had to get past three fairly recent Stanley Cup winners (Detroit in 2008, Los Angeles in 2012, and Boston in 2011) to get this victory, so no one can say they got lucky or did it the easy way. They earned it, and if they manage to make another run in the future, they will really start to emerge as the dominant team of this era.

- Nadal was ousted in the first round, then Federer and Sharapova were ousted in the second? This year's Wimbledon is shaping up to be something really unique, and perhaps special. It opens up the doorway for some real possibilities, although it could be Djokovic and Serena who managed to restore order in the end. I think British fans are hoping this is the break that Murray needed. Having already now finally broken through to win a Grand Slam, he would love to return to the Wimbledon Final and reverse the disappointing outcome from last year, when he lost to the legend, Roger Federer, and broke down in tears afterwards. 

- According to Vernon Davis of the San Francisco 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks are building a dynasty.  That is an interesting thought, because as of right now, no one has emerged as a true candidate for dynasty for this decade yet. The Patriots were the team last decade, and made it to the Super Bowl a couple of seasons ago. They have been good each season, but they lost that one Super Bowl appearance, and given all the problems they seem to be having this offseason, it is hard to imagine them being the same old elite team, although you never know. Some expect the 49ers, last year's Super Bowl runner ups, to come storming back and win. It is hard to imagine the Ravens repeating, as they lost a lot of talent in the offseason, and are nowhere near the same team that they were last season. The other teams to have won a Super Bowl this decade are the Packers and the Giants. The Packers still have a lot of talent and should be considered at least a candidate to compete for another Super Bowl, and possibly more. But other teams seem to have caught up with them. I'm a huge Giants fan, but they tend to be unpredictable. They could win it again, but there have been significant personnel changes already since their Super Bowl win a couple of seasons ago, and the team is not getting any younger (a concern for this team, I think). So, if the Seahawks emerge to really contend for the title this year, they would have followed up on the tremendous success they enjoyed last season. The more I think about it, the more it seems to make sense. Maybe the Seahawks really will become in this decade what the Patriots were in the last one. It's hard to imagine, given their tendency to underachieve as a franchise. But let's see what happens...

Some Other Thoughts About the Trip to Europe

Okay, so downloading the pictures is taking quite a bit longer then I thought. I will start to post reviews and reflections on my recent trip to Europe, but I really wanted to wait for the accompaniment of pictures. That said, I think that some of the earlier parts of the trip (Berlin, the Berlin Wall, and the Wawel) are just about set, and I would now simply need to arrange them and write some of what I had planned to write about them. For me, it is a way of extending the trip, in a way. The memories are still very fresh, and writing about these places and experiences allows me to relive them for a bit longer, and hopefully, to remember, and perhaps at times reminisce, about one of the most pleasant vacations that I have ever taken.

So, let me talk a little bit at random about some of my general impressions about Europe, for the first trip that I took there in over thirteen years. Most of this will be relatively lighthearted and not overly focused. Just random thoughts about some things in general.

Here is one, although it was not completely expected: there were reminders of World War II and the Cold War everywhere. This was not as much the case with other European countries that I have been to, but it is not particularly surprising when the countries in question are Germany and Poland. Sometimes, though, the reminders came at unexpected times, such as this framed newspaper clipping that I found at a bookstore in Krakow. It is, I think, an advertisement for a book store (although I am not sure). Take a look at the name of the place in the address box down at the bottom:

Kind of makes you think, doesn't it?

The reminders were not always so obvious or in your face. I will not include the obvious reminders, such as the Berlin Wall, or Auschwitz, both of which I will write reviews focusing exclusively on them. It was just telling to actually see the remnants of history, rather than merely read about them and look at pictures. The picture of the newspaper clipping showing "Adolf Hitler Platz" was one surprising reminder I ran into, not expecting. But it was not the only one. I saw some tanks and other weaponry from the Soviet era in Poland, now on display publicly in towns, although mostly, we drove by these, and I did not have the time to take pictures, or anything.

Now, here was something else, this time a reminder of the Cold War. In quite a few places in Basia's hometown, it was not uncommon that two homes could be seen on properties: one newer, larger, more impressive home, and another far smaller and, frankly, more impoverished home. These older homes dated from the Communist era, while the newer ones are more recent, in the post-Communist era. By and large, the residents themselves built them, to my understanding (although surely with some help). Here are some examples:

Here is another example, Basia's familiy home. The strucure on the left, which now exclusively houses the animals and a wood shop that her father, a skilled worker with wood, has at the end. To the right, you see the newer, obviously more impressive home:

That picture included the ducks and the army of chicks that followed the two mothers around religiously (they were both female, yes - the father had been served for dinner my first night there, unbeknownst to me). That might not have come up too clearly, so here are some better angles, to appreciate each from, including the size and detail. 

Here's what used to be the older home, where Basia's grandparents lived. It is much smaller and far less modern. The bathroom was more or less an outhouse, right on the edge of the house. Every room was smaller, darker, less hospitable:

Now, these were some real reminders of the reality of the Cold War. It is one thing to study the history in a book, or see some old newspaper clippings or articles. But when you see the shells of former homes that now are exclusively for animals or workshops, the reality of how these people lived really hits home!

Here are some things that I was a bit disappointed with:

 - If there is one thing that I will absolutely not miss in Europe, it is the toilets there. Perhaps it had been so long since I had been there, that I had actually forgotten how different the toilets are in Europe. If there is one area that I will admit the United States (and Canada, as well) have it better, this is it. The toilets really did not seem to flush all that well, and in some cases, hardly flushed at all.

 - In Poland, as well as in one particular bathroom at Berlin's Tegel Airport, you had to pay for the privilege of going to the bathroom. This, I could not agree with. It is a little like the news floating around about how the head of Nestle, Paul Bulcke, claiming that the belief that all people should have access to water is an "extreme" position (by the way, I will try and boycott Nestle products as a result of this). The bathrooms, by and large, were put in place many, many decades ago, in most cases. I am talking about public toilets, museums, restaurants, and other places, all charging money to use the facilities. It irked me, and especially in places where you already paid a fairly substantial sum for tickets to gain entry into landmark or historical places. This was the case at the Wawel, the Salt Mines, and Auschwitz. It was also the case at some restaurants (yes, even when you were a paying customer. The amounts were usually not ridiculously steep - usually it was 1 or 2 zloty (about thirty to fifty American cents). Still, the very thought of it bothered me quite a bit. It may cost them some money at times, to be sure, but so be it. I think, honestly, that this was perhaps an attempt at job creation. If so, it is a rather obnoxious attempt. I can't imagine how degrading and, frankly, disgusting it must be to work at such places, and I wonder if there is not some other area of potential job creation that would not be so unpleasant for all parties involved? None of the people that I saw collecting money with such jobs seemed particularly happy to be there. In fact, they all wore miserable faces. But in any case, this really, really bothered me, and as much as I could, I avoided these pay toilet services, finding it rather obnoxious, frankly. Bathrooms are something that we all have to use, and sometimes quite urgently.

 - The showers. No real problems with the showers in general, but since I tend to have relatively frequent back aches, I often rely on jumping in the shower and putting the water as hot as I can take it, then focusing that water on the part of my back that hurts (usually my lower back). The first shower that I took here in the States once I got back was heavenly, and my back felt better than it had in a long, long time.

 - The traffic lights were a bit different. Not sure if this is worth mentioning or not, or if people will think I'm a little weird for even noticing. But before the lights would turn green in Poland, the orange light would turn on simultaneously with the red, very briefly, before turning green outright. Just thought it was interesting, because I had never seen that before.

-They have some idiots in Europe, as well. Take a look at this plate on a vehicle I saw in Krakow that belongs to some asshole. it was the biggest vehicle (other than trucks and vans) that I saw in the entire trip.

Look at the heartwarming message on the license plate, showing that this is a guy who feels a genuine connection with the rest of humanity, and with life in general on this planet. Man, if everyone was like this asshole, we would have ran out of oil, and other precious natural resources, already!

Unfortunately, he was not the only asshole we encountered in Poland on this trip. There was a group of young idiots on a trolley car behind the taxi we had taken to get to the Kościuszko Mound. We had literally just stepped out of the car, and these guys began to honk their horns and yell and insult the taxi driver relentlessly. They were partying, and did not want the old driver to impede their fun, even for the two seconds that they were bothered by his presence.

But the worst that we experienced in Krakow was a pack of drunken frat boys on Saturday night. Krakow was teeming with life at all hours throughout our stay there, but on Saturday night to Sunday morning, it reached ridiculous levels! I mean, I saw people hanging out from the night before at 7:00am, literally! And the loudest, by far, were these stupid frat boys. There were about ten to twelve of them, and they walked the street as if they owned it. People had to get out of their way. And the most charming one among them was screaming at the top of his lungs (no, I'm not exaggerating, unfortunately) from 3:30am until about 4:00am. It sounded like he was right outside our window and, indeed, for whatever the reasons, they stayed within the vicinity for an annoyingly long time. Basia said she felt like going down there and kicking his ass, and I was seriously considering taking a wet t-shirt and throwing it at the moron (we were on the second floor, by the way)! I saw absolutely no difference between the mindless idiocy of immature frat boys in America, and some of the drunken, loud, obnoxious morons that we saw quite frequently in Krakow. I suspected that they were, in fact, Americans, but Basia heard them speaking Polish, so there went that theory. It seems, they are just imitating some of the worst elements of youth culture of the United States.

After the relentless chaos within the city, we were looking forward to some peace and quiet in the countryside, in Basia's hometown. But there is one neighbor who seemed like a real pain in the ass. He could not speak without yelling, and according to Basia, that is the only tone of voice that he knows. Also, every other word out of his mouth is a swear word. Okay, well, that's not that bad, right? I mean, he might be short on the old charm, but that's not a crime in and of itself. He was just annoying, after all, but that's about it, right? Wrong. He disappeared for quite a few days (which in and of itself was not so bad), but he left his dog tied up outside. Basia's father actually had to go out and feed it and give it some water. Apparently, the dog did not have any food or water and, according to her father, he did ot so much as eat the food as inhale it. And this neighbor said nothing. We might not even have known he was gone, if the dog had not relentlessly howled at night, and sometimes during the day. Can't blame the dog. After all, how would any of us react to being abandoned and tied up like that, without food or water, and without the guy having informed anyone of his departure, let alone made any arrangements for anybody to actually feed and take care of the dog. So, in my eyes, he went from being simply an annoying, but more or less tolerable neighbor, to being an irresponsible jackass who never should be trusted with a pet (and everyone in town had animals, believe me).

I don't know what I was expecting, and I have known enough Europeans to know that there are, indeed, idiots among them. But the sheer number of them, and the extent of their obnoxiousness on display this time around, was more than a little shocking, and extremely disappointing. I could not help but wonder if this was part of the modernization, or Westernization, that everyone was raving about so much.



Here's something that came as a pleasant surprise, right around the end of our trip:

I kept hearing that there were a lot of peacocks around in that part of Poland (as well as brown bears that were related to the Grizzly family, and wolves), but I had seen nothing like that. 

Okay, well, these were some relatively random thoughts and reactions form some of the less obvious experiences during the Europe trip. Hopefully, tomorrow, I will complete my first review on a specific place! See you then!

Missing Europe

I miss Europe. It has only been a few days, I know. After all, we returned just this past Wednesday afternoon, and it is now only Saturday morning. It had been over thirteen years since my previous trip to Europe, and I do feel extremely privileged to have been blessed with such a wonderful trip as this one. Still, I miss it already. Intensely.

There is a certain way of life that, frankly, I feel is healthier in Europe. An outlook, a way of looking at things and doing things. Moreover, an acceptance of life and it's limitations. I am not saying all Europeans are more enlightened than Americans, or any such things. In fact, frankly, there were plenty of idiots on display during this trip, and perhaps I'll get into that in a little bit. But one thing that I think Europeans in general know how to do is enjoy little moments better. As was stated in a movie that Basia and I recently saw (Eat, Love, Pray), Americans simply don't know how to relax.

I know that the largest and often most successful economy in the world has traditionally been American. In fact, despite China's incredibly rapid economic growth (and how long can we rely on that continuing?), the United States still enjoys certain things that remain the envy of the rest of the world. It still enjoys the largest economy in the world, despite all of the growing problems here. Also, it is still the world's leading superpower, not just economically, but politically and culturally, as well. This is, of course, a source of pride for many Americans. Also, as I saw on this trip at various times and in different ways (with varying degrees of subtlety), many overseas still look up to all this. When you are far away from something, the grass always looks greener, and so many people outside of the United States almost feel patriotic towards it. They have an overly idealized image of what it is all about, having seen probably far too many American movies and television, and listened to American music all of their lives. They see the United States as being above, and in terms of sheer power and influence, perhaps, this might make sense.

But this brings to mind what my father has said about another, much earlier trip to Europe. We were in the French Alps for two weeks way back in 1987, when I was just still a kid. We decided to take one day and go visit Italy, which was really not all that far from the town that we were staying in, Embrun. So, we went ahead, and visited Italy. Not the most famous parts, or anything. We did not see Florence or Venice or Rome or Pisa or the Italian Riviera or Sicily. Hell, we did not even see Milan, although that would not be a laughable notion, given it's relative proximity to the French border. Instead, we headed towards Turin, one of the largest cities in Italy, which fairly recently hosted the Winter Olympic Games. Along the way, we passed through and visited a smaller Italian city, Suza.

Suza might not be as well known as some of those other places, but it was beautiful there nonetheless. A pretty and tidy city as I remember it, snugly nestled under the broad shoulders of the peaks of the surrounding mountains. This was, after all, in the Italian Alps. There is an alcoholic drink from this region, which is also called Suza. I have not seen it here in the United States, but as I recall, it seemed pretty common there, at least in Italy and the French Alps, if not France in general.

In any case, it was a very nice city, and it felt like a privilege to visit it. And my father has said, on more than one occasion, that the people living in the city of Suza have nothing to envy from anyone or anywhere else in the world. They are surrounded not just by natural beauty, but by architectural beauty as well. It has everything that you could possibly want in a city.

Now, here's the thing: there are a lot of towns like Suza in Europe. I visited a couple cities that were not that different during this recent trip, such as Sanok and Zakopane (both in Poland). These, like Suza, are cities that are blessed with not only gorgeous and healthy natural surroundings, but also the simple elegance of a typical European small city. You have the square, with some important buildings. You have old churches that tend to be far, far older than almost anything that you will find in the Americas. You have cobbled roads and sidewalk cafes. In some cases, you have castles, or other unique points of interest. Sanok itself had all of these, including the castle and a small village dating back many centuries, with thatched roofs (I will be writing a post on this, complete with pictures, in the relatively near future). We went to Sanok's town square on a gorgeous Friday afternoon (a week ago yesterday, in fact). It was mostly deserted, which surprised me. Perhaps later on, there would be more traces of nightlife, but when we were there, it was mostly empty and quiet. We ate at a restaurant, outside under an umbrella that shielded us from the bright sunshine. What few activities were going on in the square around us could be both seen and heard clearly. It was a very nice atmosphere, and we enjoyed good food.

It was not like visiting some other places, where the grandeur and/or importance of the place just blows you away. It was not the Wawel in Krakow, or the Louvre in Paris. It was not Versailles, with a ridiculously elaborate palace and gardened grounds surrounding it. This was not Paris or London or Rome or Berlin. Solina will not blow you away with the obvious architectural and artistic wonders of places that I still only yet dream of going, such as Vienna or Venice or Barcelona, or a region like Provence in France. It was a small, relatively obscure town in a far corner of a relatively small country in Europe. Yet, it was very pleasant. Writing about it now, I wish we were back over there right now, relaxing and sipping coffee and enjoying a pleasant meal. Watching the locals go about their day, tending to no obvious business. It is not a huge thing, it is a small thing. Yet, it is these kinds of small things, these small moments, that I find myself most often missing. Yes, I was impressed by the Louvre each time that I went. The same with Versailles. I am sure the reaction would be the same if I went to Rome, or the Prado, or Venice, or Florence, or Rome, or any of the other countless places that may just overwhelm with their artistic grandeur or historical significance, or both.

No, this was a small square in the center of a small city that will likely not be known, much less visited, by throngs of tourists. Yet, it was nice.

They say that small moments mean everything, and here, in essence is what I am trying to say: in Europe, they do it better than in the United States.

There, I said it, point-blank.

Here in the United States, it is very different. Americans tend to be, by and large, more consumeristic. More selfish, in other words. It might sound cliche to say it, and surely most Americans do not want to hear it, but there is some truth to it nevertheless, like it or not. Americans want bigger homes, bigger lawns, bigger cars, more things to decorate those large homes, more toys to keep them distracted. More, more, more. Bigger and better. Anything to keep us distracted from what may very well be a deep and very real unhappiness about our lives. We can hide it away with the brief rush of adrenaline that comes with getting the latest technological wonder, or seeing the newest blockbuster set to make waves and shatter ticket box office records. I know people who always get the next big thing, so to speak, and they always see that new, huge movie that everyone is talking about. Two guys in particular that I knew had to be the very first to get camera phones when they were the hottest thing, and they paid top dollar for it. It was a status symbol. Now, everyone has one. They were the first to get DVD players, also at premium prices. Now, you can get a new one for thirty dollars. They amassed a very large library of DVD's, getting the newest and coolest movies to have just come out on DVD. These same must buy DVD's often go for a fraction of the price now, as a new technology is being promoted for mass consumption. These guys were the first to get numerous other things that used to be the latest and the greatest, and now are irrelevant. If they still have these things at all - the fancy stereos for car or home, the once latest and greatest laptop of it's time, the once most coveted cell phone with internet, or any of the other wonderful things that once were on prominent display in the stores, then quickly passed to the general section, and eventually found their way to the bargain sections, and probably eventually the clearance section, then I would be surprised. If they still have them, they are likely occupying space and collecting dust in their oversized homes, and the owners of such things probably do not know what to do with them. Hopefully, they were handed down to grateful family members of friends. But this is not always the case.

In their place, surely, they have newer and even more elaborate home entertainment theaters with surround sound, probably rivaling the local theater. They have their Blue Ray player, and the Ipad, and other gadgets and gizmos that they show off to their friends and family, and perhaps, if they are particularly vane, to the Facebook audience and other internet communities.

Of course, this all comes at a price. I sometimes think that Americans, in their rush to catch up and then pass Europeans in every way, made so much of a point of trying to be different than Europeans, that they lost sight of the larger point. They tried to do things differently in every way, and that meant scrapping our historical places and such in a hurry. The cities on the East Coast have some historical buildings and neighborhoods, but these have not retained their older feel anywhere near on the level that European cities have managed to hold onto. You can see buildings like Faneiul Hall, or Fraunces Tavern. But the neighborhood betrays modernity. You cannot get anything remotely like the feel of an older age, of what things used to be like. There is history, but it is bookended by what reflections of what this society truly values the most, symbolized in glass and steel. Thus, a pleasant cup of coffee or a meal on a sidewalk cafe seems largely out of the question. It was never even an option until a few years ago, when the notion of sidewalk cafes began to actually be implemented, despite everybody knowing that they not only existed in Europe, but that people enjoyed going to them, as well. That included American tourists.

Being able to enjoy a place that looks more or les the same as it did centuries ago has a value, and many people understand this. But you have to get beyond seeing things strictly in a monetary sense, though. Not that jobs, or a healthy economy, is not important or enviable. of course it is. Each of these things has a certain value. It depends on whether you allow yourself to view, and judge, things based on their monetary value, or whether you are able to go beyond that, and recognize the value of things beyond money and status.

All I know is that right now, I miss some of those same very little things that Europe is so famous for.

Another Netflix Review

Image by: ckwebb.com

On December 27th, I wrote a review of Netflix.

It was mostly positive, and deservedly so. After all, I pay $7.99 a month to be able to stream movies and television shows online instantly, and usually, it works well.

Usually.

However, I have noticed a little problem that somehow keeps persisting. Namely, the episodes getting interrupted right in the middle, and then just staying frozen. There are entire episodes that I missed as a result, and let me tell you, there is almost nothing more annoying than settling in to watch an episode (in this case, of Mad Men), and then having the damn thing stop right in the middle, and with seemingly no chance of getting it back, either.

That just happened, a few minutes before I started writing this. It is an annoying problem, and again, one that I have now encountered at least four times that I can remember, and maybe more. There is just something incredibly irksome about it. Especially when it happens at a point when you are particularly engaged in it.

It's like watching a DVD, and then having it skip or suddenly become unplayable (another thing that I have experienced, and surely I am not the only one?

The episode that I was watching just stopped, with no warning. You sit there and wait, and you begin to browse through other web pages. But then you think that this might actually make things worse, so you go back.

Still paused, still with that same picture frozen.

So, you begin to grow impatient, and start to click things, knowing this too will probably make it worse. You can't resist, though. There is a taunting quality to seeing the picture frozen, because it seems perhaps like it just might start up again at any moment.

Of course, it doesn't.

Eventually, you go back, and try to reload the episode. That doesn't work. You get a red screen with the logo and name of Netflix in the center, but it always seems to freeze at 51%. Always at 51%.

I even try and open it on another internet access when available.

No go. The thing is being pretty damn stubborn.

Suddenly, this seems more annoying than the frozen picture, and if you're me, you begin to feel that long suppressed temper boiling up, about to erupt.

All that hard work to try and control, or rather manage, that anger, just goes out the window. If it does not start up again, and I mean real soon, I will become something to see. I will turn into the Incredible Hulk, and smash my fist through the computer screen's taunting, skinny little screen.

Deep breathe. Calm down. It's not worth it.

Only, it really annoys the shit out of you. It always seems to happen at the worst times! Of course, no time would be good for this to happen, yet it always seems to happen at times that are particularly annoying. Somehow, someway, at least that is the way that it feels.

Whether true or not, who knows? Maybe it's just that you don't have the old temper nearly as under wraps as you had hoped, and even begun to believe.

There are worse problems to have. Believe me, I know.

Still, it is a nuisance, to say the least. Especially when you pay money for a service that, quite suddenly and always unexpectedly, fails to deliver.

Surely, again, I am not the only one experiencing this. Let's just hope that Netflix is using that money that I have paid them to fix whatever seems to be the problem in these cases.

Just thought that I might share this, since I have a lot more experience with Netflix now then I did back when I wrote the first (I think exclusively positive) review. But if you have been thinking of subscribing to Netflix, then it's something to think about.

Around the Bend - October 18, 2012

Presidential Debate # 2

So, the big news over the past couple of days was the second debate between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

I really only saw a bit of this debate, and will admit to not watching this live. Funny, but in previous elections, I made much more of a point in tuning in, even when I was not intending to vote for either major party candidate.  This year, it seems, I'm just not all that interested in tuning in at all, having not watched a single live debate yet.

From what I saw, and from what most people are saying, Obama came out much more aggressively this time for this debate. He and Romney actually confronted one another, accusing each other, even pointing fingers at one another, evidently (saw a picture where they were pointing at each other).

Most people seem to think that Obama won the debate, and challenged Romney on several points. Romney took much the same approach that he had in the first debate, and reiterated his line that the past four years were, in essence, a failure, and that this is the responsibility of President Obama.

Apparently, the most famous moment from this debate came when Romney claimed at some point that while he had been governor of Massachusetts, he had been handed "binders full of women" after asking his staff to find qualified women to fill some cabinet posts. The way that was worded was a bit clumsy (Romney might say it was inelegantly stated, as he said about his infamous 47% gaffe), and so it became kind of the comic moment of the debate, if not of the debates in general for this year.

There are moments that live on in Presidential debate history. Gerald Ford claiming that the Soviet Union was not really a threat, almost assuring Jimmy Carter the victory in the election afterwards. Ronald Reagan had a very famous, humorous moment in 1984 against Walter Mondale, when he promised that he would not use his opponent's youth and inexperience against him. In 1988, in the Vice Presidential debate, Lloyd Benson famously dismissed Senator Dan Quayle's seemingly comparing himself to Jack Kennedy by retorting that he had known Jack Kennedy, and then uttering the famous words, "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." George H. W. Bush was caught looking at his watch in 1992. In 2000, it was Al Gore standing entirely too close to George W. Bush, who was speaking at the time.

We shall see where this rates in Presidential debate history. Whether it will live on in infamy, or ultimately, prove to be a minor gaffe, and not a deciding point, remains to be seen.

In Other News

 - Former Presidential candidate George McGovern's family said that he is no longer responsive.

 - In South Africa, where the recent violence involving mine protests and the police reaction to these, Gold Fields CEO Nick Holland is apparently hours away (as of the time that I am writing this) from firing 23,000 miners. If he goes through with it, you have to wonder if the violence that erupted there, and seemed to many (both inside and outside of South Africa) to be reminiscent of the apartheid days) will break out yet again.

-The alleged organizer for the attack of the school girl who was shot had been held and released back in 2009, evidently.. The girl is presently being treated in Great Britain. She had been speaking out against the Taliban's efforts to prevent girls from receiving education. They claimed that she was attacked because she had spoken out against them, and also praised US President Barack Obama. Here is the link to the article "Attacker of Pakistani schoolgirl was held, freed in 2009: sources" by Reuters that I got this story from"
http://news.yahoo.com/attacker-pakistani-schoolgirl-held-freed-2009-sources-073050759.html

- More protests in Greece to protest against austerity measures, which many there feel is too harsh.

- An international mediator claims that the violence in Syria presently could involve many others in the Middle East, if proper care is not heeded.

 - Drone attacks in a southern Yemen farm town have killed nine alleged rebels.

Sports

In baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals avenged their 7-1 Game 2 beating by winning Game 3, 3-1, and getting the lead back in the series with two games to one over the San Fransisco Giants in the National League playoffs.. In the American league, Game 4 was postponed because of the threat of rain. The Detroit Tigers hold a 3-0 series lead, and will have a chance to close out the series tonight.

In football news, I commend Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe for posing in, OUT, a gay magazine, in order to advocate equal rights for homosexuals.

"To me", says Kluwe,"this fight is about equality and human rights. The fact is, there are Americans who pay taxes and serve in our military - who defend this country- who do not receive the same legal protections as the rest of us. To me, that's flat-out discrimination. That's the same as segregation or suffrage."

Kudos to Chris Kluwe for speaking his mind on an issue that matters to him! I hope he has a terrific year!

Here is the link to the article, "Vikings punter Christ Kluwe poses in gay magazine to support same-sex marriage", by Doug Farrar:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/vikings-punter-chris-kluwe-poses-gay-magazine-promote-144612785--nfl.html

Just Wanted to Mention...

After yesterday's entry about how cold it was on Saturday morning during my early morning hike, it warmed up nicely the rest of the day, and stayed warm. Yesterday was an Indian Summer day, with warm temperatures more reminiscent of the summertime.

I do not generally mind the cold weather, and in fact, often like it (at least until right around the holidays, during which time it adds a certain charm, I find).

However, I will admit that the warmer temperatures were very pleasant, and made for a nicer hike.

Also, I work on the weekends, many hours, so my freedom is not always there. Yet where I work, there is a  park, owned by the company, that is really quite pleasant. It is situated on a bluff that overlooks the hills to the west, and i have watched many a sunset from here. There is a wide expanse of lawn, and a pond with a fountain in the middle.

Guess who was reading for well over an hour, soaking in the beautiful weather, and then, on top of it, took his lunch break outside, and got even more reading time in?

Just don't tell me bosses what I get paid to do!

Update on Tuesday, the 16th

I wanted to mention, when I originally had the idea to write this addition, some of the things to be thankful for. You see, Sunday, the 14th, was a good day by many measures. I got a decent amount of rest, yet still managed to do some decent writing, editing, reading, and hiking. Also, I got to enjoy the outdoors quite a bit on a day truly graced with glorious, ideal weather, and in a beautiful setting. Work went well, and did everything that was required, and then some.

So, when there are reasons to be appreciative, it seems like a good idea to make mention of it, and stay positive.

The one complaint? I did not get to spend any time with Basia, and barely saw my son, Sebastien (but at least I got to see him for a few minutes).

Otherwise, it was about as productive a day as I've had in quite a while.

Around the Bend Weekly Update - October 15, 2012

So, let's see what going on right about now:

Around the World:

 - More turmoil in the Middle East -  in what seems to be coming closer and closer to an out and out war, Turkey is now banning Syria from it's air space.

 - In Scotland, progress is being made towards the referendum on independence, as Scottish leader Alex Salmond meets with British Prime Minister David Cameron. It looks like the three centuries old union with England is on the verge of being dissolved, now.

- 22 people that were leaving their mosques were slaughtered in a village (Dogo Dawa) in Nigeria.

 - There was a peace deal with Muslim rebels in the Philippines that will perhaps be a step towards setting up an autonomous region.

- Cambodia's former king, Norodom Sihanouk, died in Beijing. He was 89 years old.

RIP, Arlen Specter

He was a longtime moderate Republican senator of three decades, and often was outspoken.

Specter was best known for maintaining an independent streak within the party that hardly tolerated deviation. He had fights, often quite public, with prominent leaders within the GOP. He was best known as a Republican for all of those years, yet it should be noted that he started off his political career as a Democrat and, at the very end, he ended it by rejoining them.

Here is an article about various reactions from prominent politicians on the death of Specter:

http://news.yahoo.com/reaction-death-ex-sen-arlen-specter-pa-191825835.html

Politics

Bill Clinton is now going to go in big time in these final weeks of the election campaign, rallying in support of incumbent President Barack Obama.

Right now, following Obama's disastrous performance in the first debate, and with the second debate looming (on Tuesday), Barack Obama has quickly went from seeming like he was about to wrap up the election, to seemingly being in a tight race, with his entire Presidency, and legacy, on the line.

The last time he was in such an unsure place was just before the Democratic Convention, and guess who made a remarkable speech that defined the prior four years and created a defining narrative, better than President Obama had managed to do during that entire four years, and really helped the President out by giving him a decent bounce in the polls? That's right: Bill Clinton. Of course.

Clinton will continue to pound the case for four more years of Obama as President, and he could very well help, like he did at the Democratic National Convention a few weeks ago.

"He's got a way of communicating complex ideas in plain ways that no one else has," says Greg Haas, who ran Clinton's campaign in Ohio in 1992, "...He's in a class by himself."

Well, now that Obama finds himself in trouble again, he is turning to this old, not exactly political ally, but fellow Democrat nonetheless ex-President. Clinton will be on the campaign trail, making the case to give Obama four more years in office.

I wonder if Obama will try to find out if Clinton could legally replace him in the next debate? He certainly had  a very strong ability to communicate effectively, and perhaps he can at least give Obama some tutorials to prepare him for the next debate on Tuesday.

Obama himself has mused on this very idea, joking that he should appoint the former President "secretary of explaining stuff."

Clinton's specialty is politics, and perhaps it will do him good to get back to a more active and prominent role. He just seems to thrive under those conditions, and he very well may wind up helping Obama yet again. It likely won't hurt Obama's chances, in any case.

http://news.yahoo.com/bill-clintons-back-campaign-game-big-time-143643283--election.html

Sports

The big game yesterday was the showdown in San Fran. My favorite team, the New York Giants (4-2), had knocked off the San Fransisco 49ers (4-2)in the NFC Championship Game last season, but many people felt that they had gotten lucky, that it was some kind of a fluke. The 49ers were talking revenge for most of the week, and the general consensus was that the 49ers, who had beaten the Jets (on the road), and the Bills in the previous two weekends by a combined 79-3, were going to rattle the Giants and exact a measure of revenge, en route to further establishing themselves as the best team in the league, and the favorites to at least represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

The general consensus is that the 49ers are the most physically punishing team in the league, and nobody but nobody can come into their house and run successfully against them. I even had a coworker who believed that Coach Harbaugh just might have deliberately had his team lose to the Vikings in order to avoid the pressures of an undefeated season, citing how the new England Patriots caved to the pressure a few years ago. Lose on purpose to avoid that pressure. In week 3. Right.

But indeed, many seemed to think that the 49ers were just that good, that they already belonged in the conversation as the greatest teams in NFL history.

Yes, they are good. Undeniably so. But that good? You can tell before mid-season? Really?

But the Giants came in and tore the 49ers apart, at least on this Sunday. What about the conventional wisdom that you don't even bother trying to run on the 49ers? The Giants ran the ball, and stuffed it down the 49ers throats. The secondary is supposed to be liability on an otherwise solid defense, but they picked Smith off three times. The Giants dominated, through and through, and the end result was a 26-3 spanking that shocked the NFL.

But why? The Giants are the defending champions, after all. Sure, they have been inconsistent so far this season, and have had their share of problems. But today, at least, the Giants reminded us why they won the Super Bowl last years, and twice in the last five seasons, as they responded like champions.

Otherwise, this was a strange weekend in football, with tons of upsets. The Giants game might not qualify as a huge upset, but nobody expected the Giants to win the way that they won it. But the Packers (3-3) finally began to look like the Packers of the previous three or so seasons, playing their most solid game of the season last night to hand the previously undefeated Texans (5-1) their first loss - in Houston! - by scoring a whopping six touchdowns against Houston's vaunted defense, en route to a 42-24 thrashing. So, the two most recent Super Bowl champions, respectively, took down the two teams that, arguably, had looked like the two most dominant teams in the league up to this point. Some people already had made predictions of a Super Bowl match up between San Fransisco and Houston. But the Packers and Giants, maybe, have something to say about that. And they each have recent Super Bowl experience, something that, for now, those two other teams are lacking.

Atlanta, the only other team still retaining an undefeated record entering this weekend, managed to remain undefeated, but only by surviving a real squeaker against Oakland at home. The Cardinals (4-2), who until last weekend remained undefeated, now have lost two in a row, and look more and more like the same old Cardinals that we have always known. But another team in the NFC West might just be for real: the Seattle Seahawks. They held off the Patriots (3-3) yesterday, who look far from the powerhouse team we all expected them to be. Another traditional AFC powerhouse, the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-3), also continue to struggle, as they lost to Tennessee on the road, and have yet to win on the road this season. Finally, let's congratulate the Cleveland Browns (1-5), who had been the league's last remaining winless team, on winning their first game yesterday! That first win can be the trickiest, as pressure mounts when it begins to take such a long time. Now, the Browns have that monkey off their back, they can probably focus on trying to make some of the improvements that they had been focusing on winning some games, as their new owner aims to build a winner in the city by the lake.

In baseball, Detroit managed to take the first two games against the Yankees in the Bronx, and the series now shifts to Detroit. The Yankees will be without their star, Derek Jeter, for the rest of these playoffs. It looks pretty grim at the moment for the Bronx Bombers. I don't particularly like them, but feel badly about Jeter. You have to like Detroit's chances of getting back to the World Series, and I'll be pulling for them if they do. In the National League, the resilient defending champions, the St. Louis Cardinals, managed to best the San Fransisco Giants in the first game of that series. Both teams are recent World Series champs (combined, they won the last two series), so it should be an interesting series.

Otherwise, in tennis, Roger Federer managed to reach his 300th overall week atop the rankings on the men's side - easily a record. I don't know whether he has a shot at hanging onto the top spot until the end of this year, which would tie him with Sampras's record of six years overall atop the rankings (although Sampras did manage to achieve that feat in six consecutive years). I know that I have really expressed amazement on this blog at times regarding Federer, but this guy just continues to amaze me! He just holds himself with such a measure of dignity and class, which is a refreshing change in sports. His list of accomplishments are really unbelievable and daunting, surely, to competitors and opponents. Congrats, as always, to the Fed!