Mesmerizing

Last night I Face timed with my granddaughters. First my younger one spoke to me. She is four years old. She laughed and walked around with her ipad, showing us things in her sisters room. After a few minutes we gave each other kisses and said goodbye. A minute later her sister Face timed me from her ipad. She is seven years old but carries herself as an older child. She wanted to do a craft with me so she brought out her loom. She wanted to show me how to loom various objects. She explained each step of the project better than a YouTube video. She was so precise in her explanation that I was staring at the screen as if it was a tutorial. When she did something fast, she explained it was because it was easy. When she slowed up, she explained that extra care was needed to do it right. She focused the camera on her hands. What she was doing was a bit complicated but she taught me as if she was a teacher. I was so impressed with her. I do not think that anyone could have done a better video.

First Swim

It was the first day of the opening of the town pool. The maximum occupancy is 700 and the town decided to make the new limit 400. In total, I counted about 50 people. It was a beautiful day. Maybe people were scared to come? Maybe people bought their own pools this year? My usual group of friends were there. We all spaced ourselves 6 feet away and wore masks in the water. There was plenty of room to stretch out. I think that the fourth of July weekend might be crowded, but the rest of the summer will be slow.

1984

A paragraph from George Orwell's book, "1984"

“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell

Big Brother is a term used in the book 1984 by George Orwell. This term is used to describe a person or an organization that gains total control over people’s lives, it exercises complete control by doing things such as, creating a new language, destroying history, taking away rights so the people become powerless and all sources of communication are recorded and stored by “Big Brother”. (Cell phones, Internet, Facebook, Instagram)

I do not need to write another word. Today, other people have written it for me.

Pool

The town pool opens today. The rules are different than in previous years. There are no pool passes. You pay daily, which will make it 10 x more expensive than the pass was. You can only have 2 guests. It used to be unlimited. The pool capacity is at 50%. The concession stand will not open and you are only allowed water, no snacks. There are no town chairs. You must bring your own. There will be no shower room or changing room. Only the bathroom will be open. That being said, I will still go to the pool. I will bring my chair. I will sit 6 feet away from other people. When I am in the pool, I will wear a mask. That is the best I can do to still enjoy summer.

What People Do

People are their own worst enemies. In many cases they do not need help from anyone else to complicate matters. The best way to not work against yourself is to do things in a timely and honest way. If you have a good foundation, you will be able to build a life that can be strong enough to support you.

Delaney

Since the virus has changed the way we have school and meetings, I began to remember the way it was when I was young. Who remembers the Delaney book and Delaney cards? On the first day of school, seats were assigned and the teacher would bring out a large book. The book had rows and slots. There would be a card with each child's name on it. The teacher would slide the card into the row that the child was sitting in. That is how she identified you until she knew all of the names. That was also the attendance book. It was so simple but so orderly. Now people appear in a box on a screen.

Working Knowledge

You do not need to know it all. If you have a working knowledge of most things you will do fine. As long as you know the basics, you have a good starting point. That is what makes the difference between people who excel and people who stagnate.

Fascism

Fascism: a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.

1) Statues of American leaders are being thrown to the ground and destroyed. Founders of our country are being disrespected by graffiti.
2) Law and order is being disregarded by officials. The officials condone destruction of personal property, looting, arson and siege of a city.
3) Free speech, if you are opposed to the movement, is now considered an offense. We hide our thoughts for fear that if we say what we feel out loud, we could be hurt or fired. We must agree or be silent.
4) Iconic brands are forced to change their logos. The families of these brand faces are upset that their ancestor’s legacies are being erased. Large companies have to show their support for the movement or they will be boycotted. There must be commercials and signs posted on their windows.
5) Names of cities and states and are being asked to be changed. Columbus, Ohio is being asked to be renamed to Guy Fieri, Ohio. (I kid you not).
6) City areas are being taken over by anarchists while the police station is captured. Homicides are being ignored. Theft is called "an unexpected donation".
7) Law enforcement is being vilified and railroaded. If an officer is called to the scene of a crime, he/she is expected to not take action. "Big Brother" will tape you and send the parts of the tape they extract out to the public to be scrutinized. The law is now the criminal.
8) One party's leaders bow down to the movement to show they are in agreement with riots, fires, and mayhem. Party members are the ones fueling the fire. The good people of the movement are being used and cannot see it. They are the sacrificial lamb. They do not deserve it. They deserve respect and change.

What is right is now wrong. Wrong is now normal. Some politicians are standing by watching and waiting in prey to jump in and take over to implement their doctrine. This is not about race. All races are equal. All are God's children. This is about a political party takeover. A government in total control. It is a slow calculated takeover by the greedy. They have spent the last 3 years having the reigns pulled in on them, as the government has undone bad "deals" that took money out of the taxpayers pocket and created global outsourcing, instead of American jobs. They will go to any length to get back the sweetheart deals they put into action when they were in power. Once they have power again, they will put a swift end to the "movement" and assume total control. They are wolves in sheep's clothing.

These are all FACTS. This is getting dangerous and scary. If this is what you want for your future, it is your choice. Decide what is best for you, while you are still allowed. Vote with your conscience.

The Wrong Order

God got the wrong order. It should have been Protests then Corona. I cannot figure out why he reversed it. He put a lid on society and then let it over boil. Why didn't he see the fire and then put out the flame? I am never one to second guess God. He knows his business and I was not privy to what he was thinking. I can just sit here and ponder.

Father's Day

It is another beautiful Father's Day. We celebrated yesterday and the weather was also wonderful. I logged in 5 hours of parkway travel but it was the best ride ever. It was the journey that led my father to his family. Since the virus, he had not seen anyone, so it was almost like a reunion. We took pictures to remember that good time we had. We are a lucky family.

A Gift

We can all believe what we want to. Is there Heaven. Do souls live on after death. Are there Guardian Angels. I have purposely omitted the question marks. That is because I am not questioning it. I know my answer. Today is the second anniversary of my mother's death. She is not gone. She is just not here. There is a difference. She pops in and out of our lives with strong signs. A special song that plays when I ask her to show me that she is with me. It just doesn't play, it only plays when I turn on the motor of my car. That is not random. That is the way it played the morning after her death. We take pictures at family events and angel orbs appear on the pictures. They are not on any other pictures that are taken by the same camera. My father has been missing a cherished pocket knife for about a year. It has bothered him that it vanished. He felt so bad about it. This morning, when he put on his pants, the knife was in his pocket. Was that a coincidence or a gift from his beloved wife on the day she passed?

39

Thirty nine years ago, at 1:34am, was the best moment in my life. My first son was born. I remember every moment of the previous evening, waiting for my baby to arrive. I did not know if it would be a boy or a girl. I secretly wanted a boy. I spent the evening in my in laws backyard with them and my parents. We sat until dark and then I needed to go to the hospital. I spent 21 hours waiting to see who my new love would be. When he arrived, I remember the nurses saying that they had never seen such a beautiful baby. I have the pictures to prove it. He had light blond hair and sky blue eyes. He did not have the squishy look that most babies have when they are born. He captured a piece of my heart that day and has held onto it for 39 years. I hope he knows that I love him even more today than I did 39 years ago. He will always be my baby boy, not matter how old he is.

Flair

Some people have a “Flair”.  It is a natural talent or instinctive ability.  You are born with it.  I have it in some things but not in others.  My sister has it with style.  She can coordinate an outfit to perfection.  I, on the other hand, stay with the basics.  My sister in law has a flair for art.  It was passed down to her daughters.  Their eye can formulate something beautiful that would not have been apparent to most people.  Last night my niece gave me a bracelet from her new jewelry line.  She took beads and charms and created something of beauty.  I have not taken it off.  I looked at her Etsy site and it looks like a marketing company created it.  She did the work of a professional website builder.  Flair, at its best!

Yes or No

Sometimes you just need a yes or no answer. Subjects cannot always be pushed off until tomorrow. My office is wavering about when it will open to patients. We are having virtual visits and making money so no one is overly concerned. Except me. I have three young receptionists that think they are coming back to work. I want them to know the status of their jobs. My boss keeps saying we will decide "soon" but soon isn't a good enough answer. There are three choices: Have the girls come back now, fire them, or let them decide if they want to wait until at least September to figure out what will happen. After another day of "tomorrows" I wrote my boss an email stating that this morning I will call the girls and fire them. That set her into action. Today she will call each of them and discuss what their future will be. That is all that I asked for.

One Level Worse

I read a funny cartoon yesterday. It said ,"I though it was thunder, but when I looked outside, it was Godzilla". The world is becoming one level worse each day. The humanity is gone in every aspect. Years ago, I used to be able to call my insurance company and speak to a person right away. Then it got worse. I called and was on hold for a long time. Then it got worse. I called and was told I could wait or leave my number and get a call back from the next available representative. Then it got worse. I called and was asked to leave my name and someone would get back to me in 48 hours. The next time I call, I am expecting a message that says, "Stop calling. If you need information, tough luck".

Independently Needy

Independently needy people are not independent. As we are seeing in Seattle, the people in CHAZ are not quite clear what autonomous means. It means by yourself. Govern yourself and control your own affairs. Broken down into layman's terms, "Take care of your own shit". How can they claim to be autonomous when they are begging for clothes and food. Cavemen had no one to beg to. If they were cold, they figured out a way to get warm. If they were hungry, they foraged for food and ate what they found. You cannot have it both ways. There is no Independently Dependent rule book. Choose one or the other.  This waffling on how to run things is looking a bit putzy.

As I See It

Definitions:
Law: The system of rules which a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and which it may enforce by the imposition of penalties.

Rules: One of a set of explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct within a particular activity or sphere.

Anarchy:  A state of disorder due to absence or nonrecognition of authority.

My Understanding:
1. Do not commit a crime. We all know what a crime is.
2. If you commit a crime, you must be accountable for it.
3. If you are being held accountable, do not run, fight or agitate anyone trying to detain you.

Choices:
1. Do not commit a crime.
2. Do not use drugs. The moment before you used a drug for the first time, you were drug free. You had a choice.
3. Educate yourself. There are schools . There are books. There are libraries. There is the internet. They may not all be the same quality, but they are there. Many of the finest scholars have come from horrible backgrounds. They took the options offered to them and used them in the best way they could.
4. Do not acquire an illegal hand gun. If you did not get a license for it, it is illegal. You know that when you buy it on the street.
5. Know when enough alcohol consumption is enough. If you keep drinking until you are drunk, you can no longer make good decisions.

Ramifications for your actions:
1. Crimes lead to police and incarceration.
2. Resisting arrest gets ugly.
3. Do not be a catalyst for your own punishment.

Final Thoughts.
1) Bad things happen to bad people.
2) Bad things happen to good people.
3) All life is precious.
4) Think before you act.
5) Stop hating people without putting yourself in their shoes and understanding their motivation.
6) Positive change comes from positive actions, not from hate and threats.

VIOLENCE IS NOT HEALTHY FOR CHILDREN AND OTHER LIVING THINGS.
DO NOT STAGNATE IN HATE. MOVE TOWARDS A BETTER, SAFER, KINDER WORLD.

I Was Thinking

When someone says, "I was thinking", your reaction depends on who said the statement. There are people that say, "I was thinking" and it makes you want to run. It will never be a good outcome. What they were thinking is not what you ever would be thinking. Then there are the people that say, "I was thinking" and you step a little bit closer to listen intently. What they were thinking would be smart and sensible. It would certainly be worth hearing. Those are the people I want around me.  

Worry

If you worry about something before it happens, you are just putting yourself through it twice. I try to tell my rational mind that and sometimes it listens and sometimes it does not. I had a health insurance problem yesterday and had I known about it previously I would have worried myself sick. I found out at the last minute and within 5 minutes fixed the issue. I only went through it once.

Phase Two

I got an email this morning announcing Phase Two. After months of waiting, we are slowly moving back into civilization. The phase two list had almost every type of business included in it. There will be guidelines and appointments to consider, but for the most part we are regaining our freedom. The main thing that we cannot do is eat inside a restaurant, but outside dining might become an enjoyable thing. That is how many European restaurants have done it for years. It is a good thing that we are in the warmer weather now.

'O-ala E-ho

There is a saying in an ancient language that says, " 'O-ala E-ho. It translates into, see with your eyes, think with your brain but use both for perspective. I am not sure what culture it is from but it makes so much sense.

The Bear

There is an expression, "Don't poke the bear". It means that if a bear is quiet and you poke him, he will be angry. If you poke him too much, he will attack. That is the nature of the bear. Humans are like the bear. If you have two bears in a den and someone comes to poke one of them, the bear will rise up and attack the poker. If that bear then pokes the other bear in the den, the second bear will be angered. What would happen if the second bear was more deadly than the first bear? If I was poking the first bear, I would poke only until it was awake and not until it was riled up. That's when things turn vicious.

Come Monday

One of my favorite songs is "Come Monday" written and sung by Jimmy Buffett. One of the verses of his song is, "Come Monday, it will be alright". For some reason, this weekend, that song has played over and over in my head. With all of the turmoil and worry that went on, my mantra was,      “Come Monday, it will be alright.“ By alright, I do not mean fixed. I mean safe.

9*1*1

9-1-1. What's your emergency? Tens of thousands of people make this call to 911 on a daily basis. They do so out of fear, when they are in need of assistance. They expect a police officer to quickly respond to their emergency. If it takes more than 5 minutes they begin to get upset. "What is taking so long, when I am in danger"? Imagine that as you are reading this blog, a deranged person begins to bang on your front door. He or she is screaming, "Let me in"! They are pushing against your front door trying to gain entry. Your telephone would be in your hand immediately calling for help, as your heart pounds. What if no one ever showed up? This happened to me in 1985 when a drunk person mistook my house for theirs. I was so relieved when the police arrived to take the person away. Somehow the protest for equality has turned into anti police protest. Can you imagine a world without police? You cannot paint a picture with one broad stroke. Last night, in Merrick, 11 people were arrested. Were the police wrong for trying to stop them from running onto the Meadowbrook Parkway? The police were trying to ensure the protestor's safety as well as the driver's safety. Protect and Serve, is the motto of police departments. What normal person thinks it is sensible to run onto a parkway? A car could hit you and you are injured, or a car could swerve around you and hurt the passengers inside. Two officers were injured in this skirmish. Was that fair to them? These protestors, trying to make a point, were totally out of line the way they were going about it, but the police will be blamed for the protestor's gross lack of judgement. There is becoming a disconnect in rationality. Defund the police! Buy the police cameras to wear! How can you do both? At this point, I think people need to return to normalcy in order to change normalcy. The past few weeks have taken their toll on us all. How can the governor say that we can only gather in groups of ten and then praise 5,000 people in a group setting? How can you cancel 4th of July fireworks because it is not a safe gathering and allow 13 days of mass gatherings? Since the protestors are allow to gather en mass (and rightly so) open up the state and let us return to work and to our daily lives. Let the chips fall where they may, because at this point, the government is in anarchy.

Judge Not

Man plans and God laughs. I think that in the past few months, God is just laughing. He has set forth situations to test mankind and we are failing miserably. He has created an earth where people turn against each other in the most vicious ways. If we go back centuries, a good man who was condemned by society, was strapped to a crucifix and left to die. He is now worshiped by the majority of the world, when they realized that his intentions were pure hearted. Today many good men and women are being crucified by the job they do. In reality, there are bad people in the world and they need to be punished, but to punish the good ones for the actions of the bad, is just as much a crime. As a society inequality is unjust, and we need to grow as human beings and figure out what needs to be done to fix it. We need to work together and unite as one, with love in our hearts to make the world safe for all races. Blood runs red and cannot distinguish the outside color. That is how we need to live as a people. The Jews know this well, as in history they were annihilated twice, just for who they were. Once by the Egyptians and once by the Nazis. People seem to forget that because a generation has passed. My friend just laid her mother to rest, along with the numbers tattooed on her arm. There is no longer a visual reference of that racial destruction since time has buried it. We are imperfect beings and sometimes we need a catalyst to open our eyes. To condemn the people who put their lives on the line for you when you are in danger, is sickening. If you hate law enforcement, do not call 911 when you are in cardiac arrest, or in fear of your life, or in an auto accident or a family member has disappeared. Handle the situation yourself. Figure it out. Make a plan. You cannot have it both ways. When the protests ease up, the 911 calls will still be going strong. I am on a rant this morning because a so called relative said uncalled for things about police. It is a good thing that I unfriended him years ago or he would have been publicly called out. I would have said things to be hurtful and mean. I would have aired his criminal record publicly and rehashed how he disgraced his family. There would be no going back. Judge not, lest thou be judged.

Sleep

This morning my sister texted me saying, "U up"? I laughed. Being up, would have meant that I slept. The text should have said, "Are you still up"? I am finding out that a human being can survive on no sleep for 40 years. By "no sleep", I mean very little, not peaceful, tossing and turning and just a state of mental unrest. Each night, I think that tonight will be the night that I lay my head down on a pillow and fall into this thing called sleep. Each morning, I realize that the elusive sleep was not meant to be. Last night, my mind was too awake from watching every online site that showed protesters. I switched from The Patch, to Google Map to traffic cameras to the news. I needed to see from every angle, that the tone of 4,000 people was calm. I have a vested interest in the calmness. I waited for the "all safe" signal. Once I got it, my mind was still in active protective motion. Maybe tonight I will sleep. Ok, who am I kidding?

Deluge

The rain came down very angry last night. It was almost as if it was yelling at the world. The thunder screamed and the lightening blazed. It made the humans calm down. We cannot be more volatile than Mother Nature. She will strike us down hard and fast. As I laid in bed, listening to the sounds of a storm, I realized that the louder the volume, the stiller I was. I just wanted the storm to blow through, do whatever damage it had to do and let the next day be calmer. We can pick up the damage the next day. The storm is a metaphor for the past week.

Infiltraitor

I am not sure which infiltrator I need to fear more. A tiny virus or a full size human. Both are destroying our society. We were unhappy that our streets were empty due to the virus and now we are unhappy that our streets are full due to the rioters. The virus latched onto everyone closely available. The rioters are seeking out people near and far to do their destruction. It seems it is just as hard to stop the violence as it is to destroy the illness. The weak leaders think it will phase itself out. The strong one is giving it a bit more time before he puts his foot down and does the right thing. Yesterday I saw a very disturbing flyer. It said that a riot was planned for last night at a local Trader Joe's store in Merrick. All outside agitators were invited and led there. The last part of the flyer said, "We will march through your white privileged neighborhood. What is yours is ours". My stomach turned. It listed the 5 towns that would be destroyed. Who gives anyone the right to destroy someone's property? At this point the reason for the rally is lost. How can I grieve for you, when your protesters are terrorizing me? I saw a picture of the men in one of the towns lining their streets in wait for the protestors. If they were threatened, fists or worse would fly. It would become like the scene from the movie, The Bronx Tail". Now you can't leave. I do not know the outcome of last night, but I pray it was peaceful and no one was hurt. I stand up for my right to say "All Lives Matter" because if I say otherwise, I am diminishing my own life.

Tired

I did not sleep well last night. As I was about to close my eyes, I heard the helicopters. They circled for hours a few miles away. Groups of protesters had been driven to Long Island to destroy the area. These are not the peaceful protesters that have the right to protest an injustice. These are the paid activists sent by billionaire businessmen to do their political dirty work. The areas they targeted include a well know high end mall that is frequented by the wealthy, and one of Long Island's most popular mall. The peaceful, righteous protestors are being held to blame for most of the destruction, when in reality, it is being done by outside special interest groups. That is the sad part.

Rules

In case we have forgotten, we are still in the midst of a pandemic. We are slowly opening up at phase one. We still cannot sit in a restaurant or in many cases have surgery for cancer. I know people that have cancer growing inside them that have been told that end June, at the earliest, is when they can hope to have their procedure. Now we have rioting and protesting. New York City has put forth protesting rules. This is directly from their Twitter:

Plan to protest? Here are tips to reduce the risk of spreading #COVID19:
Wear a face covering
Wear eye protection to prevent injury
Stay hydrated
Use hand sanitizer
Don't yell; use signs & noise makers instead
Stick to a small group
Keep 6 feet away from other protesters.

Are they kidding me? Use hand sanitizer?  Keep 6 feet away? This is insanity! Have they seen the news? Were the angry crowds passing Purell as they threw rocks through windows or looted stores. THIS IS A PANDEMIC. Covid 19 does not take a break to watch you riot. It sits there with a smile, waiting to jump into it's next carrier. Maybe 100,000 more people will die in America. Protestors are being told to get Covid tests this week as the virus has likely infected people who have stayed home safely for 10 weeks but thought it was a good idea to gather in masses. Human behavior still amazes me.