I'LL FAST TODAY JUST IN CASE.

YOM KIPPUR. NO BLOG. I CAN'T TAKE THE CHANCE.

Sh'ma yisroael, adonai elohainu, adonai echod.

To Believe or Not to Believe

Ah, let's see...this is a blah Friday. Rho got up early to do some food shopping for the "Break Fast" tomorrow night. This evening she is going to services at Temple Gan Eden. I'm staying home to safeguard our belongings. I'm sure she'll say enough prayers for the both of us. But I'm not so sure that there is a god or a God or many gods like the pagans used to worship. I read in some magazine...I think AARP....that about 67% of people believe in a deity of some sort. And a similar percentage believe in heaven and hell. Of course, we have been told by Catholics, that you can only get into heaven or Heaven if you believe in Jesus Christ. That leaves the rest of humanity in some kind of concentration camp after death. I wonder what my Catholic friends would say if I happened to catch up with them in Heaven? Probably, "Oh, I see you have converted to Catholicism!" Yeah. Right.

My cousin Gary's daughter just gave birth to a baby girl here in Boca Raton. I guess Michelle is my second cousin and the baby is my third cousin. She is married to Yanev, an Israeli guy, not the baby...Michelle. She sent pictures of Eleana to Rho's email. The baby looks beautiful as babies are wont to do. So, when I look at the picture of a baby...or even a real live baby and realize where it spent the last nine months...and even before...it makes me think...well how did this baby making ever get started? Does Darwin really explain the whole process of evolution to the point where zillions of babies are born every day to humans and animals? I read the book "Origin of Species" and it makes a lot of sense, but many people say "Creationism" makes sense also.
To say the truth I'm having a big problem in knowing what to believe about how the universe was created, and how we got here on this planet. But I better make a decision very shortly...I'm 83...not much time to figure out how to get into Heaven.

I got up at 11am only because I had to take Rhoda to pick up her car which died again yesterday. This time it was $174. Why does God do such things to cars?

Better to End the Day with Good News, not Bad

My day started out rather late. I had a bad night and a bad, bad dream which I won't go into. I didn't get out of the bed until 11am. While Rho was running around doing a lot of "errands" I sat in the kitchen and read how the Marlins got swept by the Braves and a lot of other bad news. I really don't know where to look in the newspaper or on the internet for some good news...particularly in regard to the war in Iraq where we don't know who or where or what to fight, and in Israel whose military is held back because the rest of the world doesn't want civilians killed. What's the big deal? Germany killed millions of civilians, and France allowed it to happen. The Nazis "blitzkrieged" England without regard to civilians. We bombed Germany without regard to civilians. We dropped an atom bomb on Japan without regard to civilians. In other words, it was the last war we won. Lesson: If you want to win a war, then get it on with everything you've got. Unless of course, you care to lose.

I took my medications and then went to the cardiologist for a "protine" test where they jab you with a needle, get a little blob of blood, and then stick it on a machine that tells you whether or not you need more or less coumadin in your body to keep clots from forming. Rhoda called prior to this visit and decided to meet me in the doctor's office and then go to lunch. Of course, this was my breakfast. It was 2pm when we got to IHOP. She had a double BLT sandwich and I had 4 chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream puffs all around, and those little miniature tiny Hershey thingies. I could only finish two of those pancakes. When the waiter asked if I wanted to take them home, I told him not to bother, and to donate the other two to charity.

So, Rho and I started home--she in her Cavalier, me in my Malibu. I got home first and waited and waited and waited. The phone rang and darn if she didn't need another tow to Firestone. Her car heated up to the max, and the air didn't work. So, AAA came and she called me to come pick her up at the repair shop. This is the third time in a month that her car needed a tow. I really don't know what the problem is. The car is only 12 years old....

Oh...good news! Marlins beat the Mets 8-7 with a run in the 10th inning. Now I can sleep. TTYL Baron-

POWER CORRUPTS! ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY.

Something is wrong here, I believe. I recently received a letter from AllState Ins. Co. that they are dropping my condo insurance policy. But I'm not the only one in this building who has received such a letter. I really don't understand how an insurance company can drop you if you have paid your premium for many years, and as a result of a hurricane, you had a small claim for damages which amount was only an iota of what you paid out in premiums. Where is the protection from such a procedure that my government should have monitored? My minimal understanding still believes that my taxes should be used to have a job for someone to wake up my legislators and representatives while they're asleep in the legisative chairs. How about a law that bars an insurance company from dropping a policy holder if the policy has been in force for five years? Or at least some protection from such unholy practices? But, no. The insurance companies share the same bed with politicians.

Anyway I have been in touch with Homewise Ins. Co., State Farm, and Universal Property and Casual Ins. Co., and Citizen to replace the AllState policy which expires on October 23. I don't have a clue about the stability of any of these companies, so I'll take the one with the cheapest premiums, and hope that the next hurricane doesn't give them an excuse to drop me while the Governor turns his back.

Well, yesterday I sent a revision of my book of poems called ADDENDA to Lulu, the publisher. It's called ADDENDA II (second ed.). It has all the same poetry, except that the book and its pages were worked on, revised, and designed by my son, Joel and my daughter-in-law, Barbara. Visually it's in black and white, instead of color; but the advantage is that it will cost a customer only $5.53 instead of $12! So if you care to have it, just click on the word, LULU, to the right of this blog and it will take you to my store. You can even read the first few poems given as a preview. Also, if you cannot afford the cost of my memoirs, you can download it to your computer for nothing. If you want to see the preview, just click on the title.

Now for my lunch--peanut butter and jelly? Or two Mallomars?

"BEWARE, MY LORD of JEALOUSY" (Iago)

From Bubby:
"Just wanted to stop by and say hello. I'm so sorry to hear about your plight insofar as your lost keys (misplaced), your hearing aid thingy and whatever! Perhaps you are getting CRAFT. I just wanted to let you know that I've written to this blog before but I NEVER get 'published.'Here you say nice things about Helen and all but NEVER anything about Lovely, long-legged, loquacious Lois, why is this? "

This is an email I got this day from "Bubby". Actually it was an email from my blog publishers informing me that this was a comment placed on my blog "ANCHOR'S AWEIGH, JON". Why Bubby posted it there is a mystery to me since she mentions my lost keys which were immortalized on yesterday's blog. I don't recall any other comment from this lovely, long-legged, loquacious Lois. When I get these comments, I have a chance to publish them or reject them. I only have rejected one, since it was in a foreign language I couldn't translate; so I don't know what is her problem? I would never knowingly reject any of lovely Bubby's comments because she is indeed lovely, long-legged, luscious, lively and no doubt--by her own admission, mind you--loquacious. We're talking here about our good friend LOIS FRIEDMAN. (Incidentally, Bubby, Helen has never posted a comment on my blog!) Oh--and what the heck is "CRAFT"?

Before I got Bubby's comment, I was going to write about the electrician who came to repair the fluorescent lighting fixture in our kitchen. When he came to the door, he really looked scruffy, with about three days of not shaving, and hair in much disrepair. I knew at once we had a "redneck". While he was on the ladder he asked if I were a marine, and I said "Yup...WWII". Why disappoint him? He then began to rail against "liberals" whom he called "doves" when it came to winning wars. And so he continued the dissertation on how liberals are ruining the country and how guys like me (!) were so great and for his peroration--that the country should be grateful to us WWII vets for actually going out and winning a war. He neglected to mention that FDR was a liberal democrat--and so was HST. I showed him my DFC and he was effusive in his gratitude to me before he left. I'm thinking of becoming a redneck myself. Then I can fix things.

(...and if anyone cares to leave a comment, you have to click on the word "comments" at the end of the blog)

Wear Pants with Deep Pockets

A little late today with this blog...or as Marilyn Silverstein calls it my "blob" which she says is a little better than my "slob". But she's so sweet, she can call it anything she wants. I'm amazed she's even reading these. Also, I'm grateful that she has been a customer; she actually bought a copy of my book. Now all she has to do is read it. I hope it has the same effect on her that the blogs have: Quote--"They make me smile, and sometimes even laugh!" Thatzanize!

Well, if you read yesterday's news, you can continue with this; if not, go back and read it or a lot of this won't register. We met Meg Machado-Garshol and her husband Knute down in Hallandale...a 45 minute jaunt. It's a really strange union; a Brazilian and a Norwegian...but it works. They have an apartment right on the intra-coastal. On the breezeway entrance, you can see the ocean; on the terrace you can see the intra-coastal and all the yatches. As I indicated yesterday, Magda was an exchange student of mine back in 1967-68 and stayed with us for awhile after she graduated. She sings like a nightingale and just came out with a new CD album called "Voyage to Vera Cruz". She sings and Douglas Lora accompanies on guitar. Anyway, we had a good time going over the old times; then we went to a Thai restaurant called "Oishi Thai". We had been there before and enjoyed it. I felt adventurous and went for a new dish called "Pad Kee Mao" which consisted of thick noodles, beef, pork, shrimp, and red and green peppers. I couldn't finish it, so it'll be done again tonight.

When the time came to say goodnight, a horrible thing happened!
I put my hand in my pocket and found that my car keys had disappeared. For an instant it flashed across my mind that Rhoda and I could sleep in the car (I had a key to open the doors), and then have it towed 45 miles home for maybe $5000. But then my college education kicked into high gear, and I figured if I called AAA they could come and start the ignition. Meanwhile, Meg went upstairs to look around and call the restaurant. No luck. Knute had looked in his car where I sat and didn't find the keys; however, he went back a second time and found them under my seat. When he arrived with the keys, I had an orgiastic euphoric tidal wave of endorphins. And so it went....until we were on I95 and I realized another loss; the volume control for my hearing aids! It's a silver device the size of a cigarette lighter, and it was missing. The tidal wave of endorphins disappeared in a wave of shame and despair. This had to be a confluence of stupidity and geriatrics. When I got home I emailed Magda, and then this morning I called her and Knute found the device under my seat again.
Well, I don't mean by "again" that he found the device for a second time; it's just bad sentence construction which I do not have the patience to reconstruct.

I'm a little late with this blob because I brought my car in for a wash and wax, Rhoda had to have a cat scan, and we had to wait for a guy to come and fix our kitchen light fixture. I'm happy to say all three things have been done. And now; are you ready for some FOOTBALL? (It's Monday night)

"We'll Teach you to Drink Deep Ere you Depart" HAMLET

Way back in 1967 an exchange student from Brazil named Magda Machado came to North Shore H.S. and entered my Speech & Public Speaking class with very little English. She quickly became one of the most popular young ladies in the school, and she became very friendly with my daughter, Robin, although she was living with another family. I was able to see right from the start that this was a most unusual and extraordinary personality. Besides her obvious intelligence, she had a beautiful singing voice, which she used to entertain at gatherings of my kids' friends in our house. But to make a long story short, eventually she came to live with us in 1970 when she came back to the USA. There had been some tragedies at home and she had been invited back by the family with whom she had lived before.

Unfortunately, a serious illness in that family made it impossible for Magda to stay with them. To my surprise, I ran into her at the supermarket. She was working at the cash register. I invited her to dinner, and after hearing her story, we told her to come stay with us. She lived with us for almost two years and during that time I took a special interest in her career because she was so far from home, and I tried to give her the best guidance I could within the parameters of having been her teacher and she my student.

Well, the years have flown by since 1970 and Magda is working on her fourth marriage. She is living in Hallandale Beach, does language conversion for TV films, cartoons and documentaries, and performs with a group at various Miami venues. She also has struck two albums of her music which can be heard at www.maguinha.com Today, Rho and I are going down there for a visit and dinner. I was fortunate enough a couple of years ago to have her down here at the clubhouse during my medal award ceremony, where I received a Distinguished Flying Cross, and I am proud to have had her write of her experience after I thanked her for coming. Though her response may be viewed as self-serving, I still want to share it with you because of its genuine sincerity which is hard to come by in this world.


From Magda Machado (Exchange student from Brazil, Class of '68)

It is I who must give thanks for your calm sweetness, your tranquil acceptance of who I am. You and Rhoda were comfortable with my copious tears at your award ceremony and gave me wonderful hugs.
I had considered just giving you a hug and leaving, in order to avoid looking misplaced (I couldn't stop crying), but then I just couldn't leave you so soon... I had to, at least, get you that overly-brewed cup of coffee, the very last in the coffee-maker!
I especially liked to hear your TV interview from up close (I no longer watch television). You were absolutely terrific, and commanded such profound respect. There you were, the agent of untold heroism, a survivor of unimaginable fear and apocalyptic visions, and your heart was wise. How I loved to hear the words coming out of your mouth! The modesty, the compassion and the awareness of the human condition. You are, in all things worthy, a remarkable man. I was proud of you, proud to see you shine at the end of that journey.
How lucky for me that God allowed me the great gift of your influence in my life...

Magda Machado (Graduate North Shore HS 1968)

...and I thank God for allowing me the gift of teaching. In what other career can one think of where in your vocation you get the opportunity to be in the midst of young people for 30 years...every day...and eventually hear that you have touched their lives in ways you couldn't dream of?