"...the best laid plans of mice and men oft gang agley..." (Rob't. Burns)

So, it's been a while since my last blog. I've been very busy trying to research events in the life of Spinoza because I desired to write a bio/fiction book whose theme would center around his philosophy and his excommunication. However, it's been quite discouraging; I simply cannot digest the thousands of words written about him and the history of Judaism. I really don't think I can handle this goal I set for myself. I knew he was born in Amsterdam, and at one time was a brilliant Talmudic student as a boy. He also had a girlfriend who was the daughter of one of his tutors, but she eventually dumped him for a more lucrative future with another guy. I'm sure this tore him up, and that was the moment he decided to follow philosophy. I have done so much reading on the subject that I'm sure I could pass the test to become a rabbi...assuming there is such a test.

During the Inquisition, many Jews from Spain and Portugal emigrated to the Netherlands where for the most part they prospered. They built the first synagogue in Amsterdam in 1598. Thirty-four years later Baruch Spinoza was born, and when he was eight years old, the first glitch in the Jewish community centered around Uriel a Costa, a fiery young man who wrote a treatise attacking the belief in another life. He was urged by the Synagogue to publicly retract his contention since it went against the very essence of Christianity and Jewish doctrine. The elders of the Synagogue did not want to incur the disfavor of the community that had taken them in and permitted them to practice their religion. Costa was required to lie down in the synagogue while members of the congregation walked over his body. After this damning humiliation Uriel wrote a passionate and virulent condemnation of his judges. Then he shot himself.

But this form of punishment for heresy does not even compare with the punishment endured by Spinoza in 1656. For a long while Baruch was a favorite son of the Jewish community; a brilliant scholar in the synagogue. That is, until he studied and learned Latin and was introduced to the works of many philosophers, and was particularly influenced by the work of Descartes

That is, until he was summoned before the elders of the synagogue and asked if it was true that he said to his friends that God is the world of matter, and that the soul is buried with the body and doesn't go anywhere--but there. Well, all this stuff is fascinating enough to read about, but to put it all together in a fictionalized account is another matter. Perhaps tomorrow I will write about the "cherem" or excommunication...which is wicked!

Today we had plans to go to the Festival Flea Market to find some luggage for our trip to Scandinavia. However, I would need my scooter to get around that place and since the elevator was not working, plans had to change. We decided to go to Costco where scooters are available. Then it started to rain in buckets, so instead of Costco we chose to do some "spring cleaning". We started with the messy closet in the hall by our bedroom and we disposed of three full garbage bags of junk that we never use. Prior to this Rhoda could not remember where she put the instructions for the scooter and the electric charger. She claimed to have looked in every nook and cranny and drawer and closet in the house and couldn't find it. But after pulling a lot of brickabrac out of the closet we were working...well there it was!

"O! How full of briers is this working day world!" (As You Like It)

Today while RH+ went to play cards and the cleaning lady was coming, I took myself to IHOP for breakfast. They had a wondrous 2x2x2= Two eggs, two strips of bacon, and two pancakes. Who could ask for anything more? Before that I took my car to Firestone in order to have them fix my A/C switches. The A/C button that circulates only the air inside the car just always kicks over to the button that takes in outside air, and negates a lot of the cool air. However, I was told that the A/C guy wouldn't be in until tomorrow. So, I took myself to a movie called, "Iron Man."

I'm guessing Iron Man was or is a cartoon character. It was a fun movie, but the special effects were specially suspect. The mayhem that Iron Man was capable of doing were significantly impossible. It involved this guy who owned a company that manufactured incredible weapons for the government. So, after coming back from a war zone, he engineered his iron man costume that had the firepower of a battleship and the jets from his iron feet sped him across the Earth at the speed of light. It was OK and I guess worth the five bucks.

Some bad news. I loaned a neighbor my Yonex driver to try out, and he did fine with it. I asked him for $50 and we made the deal. However, today he told me that someone stole that club from his bag. Now when you lose, or someone steals one of your golf clubs it's like losing a favorite pet. I felt really bad for Jim and decided that the fair thing to do was to split the loss and settle for $25 even though he offered to pay me the fifty bucks.

Yesterday, our travel agent sent us the flight plans for our Scandinavian cruise in July. We will be flying on British Airways to London and then on to Amsterdam where we will board Celebrity's ship Century. We'll stop at Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin, Stockholm, St. Petersburg, and some other place whose name evades me. At the end of the cruise, we'll spend two days in Amsterdam before returning home on July 20. It will take us nine hours to fly to London. I'll freak out!

Polonius: "What do you read my lord?" Hamlet: "Words, words, words."

Mothers' Day has come and gone, and I suppose Hallmark made more money than the oil companies yesterday. I believe it was Hallmark who probably invented Mothers' and Fathers' Day. If I'm wrong, correct me. Perhaps they also invented Grandparents' Day, but Rho and I have never, ever gotten any cards of any kind when that day comes around. It doesn't sadden us; we're used to it. We'd actually prefer that our children and grandchildren do not enrich the card companies when they could send us an e-mail or use the phone--invented by Alexander G. Bell. (Or was it Alexander AT&T?)


I've been doing a lot of research about Josephus Flavius during the Judean rebellion from 67CE to 70CE when Herod's Temple was destroyed by Titus's
Roman Army and tens of thousands of Jews were slaughtered. Josephus was an odd kind of guy who worked both sides of the fence to survive. While he was a captive in Rome, he predicted that Vespasian would become the next Caesar, and after Nero committed suicide and the prophesy came to pass, Josephus's fortunes improved. He eventually become a Roman citizen and took on Vespasian's family name of Flavius. Vespasius gave Josephus a virgin wife whom he subsequently divorced, went to Alexandria, married once more and his wife bore him three children, two of whom died, and his son. Hyrcanus survived. Josephus said this wife "did not behave very well" and he left her, went to Crete where he wed wife #3 and had three more sons.


I'm not certain why I started doing research about the goings on in the first century, since I had in mind to write a fictionalized bio of Spinoza, the philosopher in the 17Th Century??? But to say the truth, the research went so deep that the events, battles, names of people and sects were going way beyond my ability to comprehend, and I really don't know if I have the skill to write such a novel.


So, back to the mundane life of Condoland. Yesterday, Rho and I went to Boca Town Center Mall because I had a prescription for new glasses that required that I buy "Varilux" progressive lenses. The glasses I'm wearing now are not giving me any problems, but Rho encouraged me to do what the Ophthalmologist said. Bingo! $510. For that money I could buy 132 gallons of gas with which I could travel about 3300 miles.


Perhaps I'll write another blog tomorrow. One never knows.

I'm going blogless

I know that I haven't written a blog for a while. I do need to take a hiatus from blog writing to try something else I've wanted to do...that is a book of fiction. I do have a new book published--all the blogs from Jan 1, 2008 to April 29, 2008. You can find out about it by clicking on My Lulu Store to the right of this blog. It's called "Pater Noster in Condoland, Vol II". It's selling for $19.99. I say "It's selling", but actually it hasn't sold a copy yet...only the one I bought. And you can also check back here once in a while, because I'm sure I'll be writing some as time goes by. Like today.



This morning, Bonny woke me to tell me some great news; that is, that Sean has been accepted to the California School of the Arts. Sean has had a couple of shows that displayed his paintings, and he has been very anxious to go back to school to learn more about his craft. And this is a very prestigious institution. Also, Katrina, Bobby's daughter, who is an E2 Airman in the Navy, has been accepted to an assignment in Hawaii for four years beginning in August. At the moment she's attached to Whidbey Island off Seattle. I was also stationed there after VE Day (May 8, 1945) which happened to be yesterday, if anyone cares.
I do. Four years in Hawaii is not bad duty. Katrina will be working on jet planes.

Today, at the VA, I discussed my family with one of my two shrinks. I told him that every one of my four kids have been leading successful lives; and not only that, but they enjoy and love each other which is a blessing for parents. Lots of families have kids who do not get along with their siblings. But in addition to my children, their children (who fortunately happen to be my grandchildren, are also leading successful lives. Sean is a successful artist who has had two shows and who now is going to a great school of art. Katrina, who graduated from Motorcycle Mechanics Institute in Phoenix is now an E2 Airman in the Navy. Hannah is a bright and talented photographer who has shown her photos in London, and her brother, Adam, is a computer graphics engineer. What more can I say? Oh, yes, perhaps all this comes down to genes. My Dad also was a gifted painter; he made, as I recall watching him, some beautiful paintings which are now lost forever. When he lost his right arm, he still managed to paint with his left. I also did some painting for a couple of years, though I wasn't very good at it. I introduced Bobby to photography and for awile he was a professional. Now Hannah has the photo gene. What more can I say?

"When proud-pied April, dress'd in all his trim, Hath put a spirit of youth in everything." (Sonnet 98)

Last night, about 10:30 Rhoda's Canasta game broke up here and after the ladies left, Rho's new cell phone rang in the den and it happened to be Jon, her son, calling from Norfolk. And then the shocker came: Rho asked him how he's doing and what's new? The answer was that he was doing just fine and that he just got married! Jon had been married before, a number of years ago, and since then he met Joanne, a very lovely girl that we met at a wedding or something back in New York a year or two ago. Since we had no previous notion of Jon's intentions, his news was kind of startling to both of us, but we are quite happy for them and we hope that this time Jon's marriage will last. In one family historical instant, I became a father-in-law. I can handle it, but I'm not going to buy them a bed.

I don't know why, but strangely the news of Jon's wedding/marriage somehow reminded me of a passage in Yeat's poem, "The Stolen Child."

Perhaps because it describes an evening of jollity, dancing, and of course, drinking. Not only that, but the passage has my name in it...but it's not Jon's name; his name is Tessler. With apologies to Mr. Yeats.

"Where the wave of moonlight glosses

The dim grey sands with light,

Far off by furthest Rosses

We foot it all the night,

Weaving olden dances,

Mingling hands and mingling glances

Till the moon has taken flight;

To and fro we leap

And chase the frothy bubbles,

While the world is full of troubles

And is anxious in its sleep.

Come away, O human child!

To waters and the wild

With a faery, hand in hand,

For the world's more full of weeping

than you can understand."

Yes, I know. "The Rosses" does not really refer to my Rosses, but to the headlands, a geographical and social region in the west of County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland; a really awesome place. Perhaps the "human child" refers to Jon...or to any "child" who marries these days. Well, now there is only one more day in April, and then I will have four months of blogs that document my life in the year 2008. I am going to publish the blogs of these past four months for those who either have no computer, or for those who need to catch up on some they haven't read.

When you're Wright, you're Right! Sue me.

This afternoon I went to the City of Hope meeting in the ballroom of our clubhouse. There were at least 200 women there along with Mike H. and me. On my table were bagels, cream cheese and coffee which served as my breakfast because I didn't get out of the bed until about 11:30. After all the business of the meeting was over, about two dozen elementary school kids came to entertain on their xylophones--of all sizes and shapes. What skill they showed was amazing and delightful. They demonstrated what a good teacher can do if given the instruments. Sadly, all the instruments had to be donated by the parents. While there, Mike asked if I heard the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's speech to the NAACP last night. Unfortunately, I did not, but I read a transcript of it on CNN's web site. It is a remarkable document and I can just imagine how it was delivered. After all, I heard Dr. King's address when I joined the March on Washington in August, 1963.

Right now, I am an ardent supporter of Barack Obama. All the media attacks on his association with this pastor that people are obsessed with is either racism or ignorance. According to Michael Dyson's view in Time Magazine this week he says,

"Like millions of other blacks, Wright was willing to serve the country while suffering rejection. He surrendered his student deferment in 1961, voluntarily joined the Marines and, after a two-year stint, volunteered to become a Navy corpsman. He excelled and became Valedictorian, later a cardio-pulmonary technician and eventually a member of the President's medical team. Wright cared for Lyndon B. Johnson after his 1966 surgery, earning three White House letters of commendation."

Dick Cheney received five deferments while an undergraduate. Both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush used their student deferments to remain in college until 1968. Does this sound as though Wright is unpatriotic?

I like Rev. Wright's peroration of his speech last night; he says,

"Many of us are committed to changing how we see ourselves. Many of us are committed to changing the way we treat each other. Many of us are committed to changing the way we mistreat each other. And many of us finally are committed to changing this world that we live in so our children and our grandchildren will have a world in which to live in to grow in, to learn in, to love in and to pass on to their children. We are committed to changing this world that's God's world, in the first place. Not ours. And I believe we can do it. It's going to take hard work, but we can do it."

A man who speaks like that ought not to be excoriated by whoever his critics might be. Wright is not deficient, he's just different. Give him a break, and leave Obama out of it. He's got a right to pick any church he wants. And the black church is not deficient; it's just different. And that's what America is all about. Of all the divergent ethnic groups and religious groups in our country. none of them, according to Wright, is "deficient"; they're just different.

"Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit and lost without deserving." (Othello)

Whatever happened to the little mom and pop grocery or bodega store around the corner? Also, where did the candy store with the pinball machine disappear? And what about the drug store where you knew you'd find a friendly pharmacist? Of course, if there were to be a woman behind the counter, you'd have to figure out a way to buy a condom for your wallet (well...just in case) without having to check it out with her. Today we went to Costco where you have to buy a membership card before they allow you to buy anything else in this store. You could place three football fields in this store and if you didn't stick with the person you came in with, you might never find her again. Same thing holds true for the Super Duper Wal-Marts and Target stores, and Oh, yes--Home Depots where you should be given a map when you walk in. The first thing I look for when approach these monsters is a gratis scooter, because I'd never be able to navigate those aisles without pain. With a scooter, you've got the solution!

Now, I know you've all been waiting for the final installment of Bobby's story of his life in the county jail and the reason for his one year sentence. Well, here it is:

MY LIFE IN THE COUNTY JAIL by Bobby Lou Ross

I was arrested for drug possession and sales on February 5th, 1987 in Hermosa Beach California. I was set-up by an informant (a confidential reliable informant, CRI) that needed to turn in somebody (roll-over) to gain a favor for being arrested himself. I have kept every notice, paper, letter, mug shot, letters received while in jail, even some letters I sent while in jail, jailhouse artwork, and court documents concerning my incarceration. I have decided to enclose my "personal statement" (the first draft) which I wrote in May 1987, for my attorney, to be given and read to the judge in my case. She did some editing and corrections for me and I signed the final statement. I am sure I will not e-mail all the papers in their entirety, but I may put these together in a "book" to be published at a later date. Does anybody know a good editor?

It would be well to remember that my son has since become a solid citizen. He and Sabrina have raised his daughter without Katrina's birth mother who bore a son to another father...you figure it out. Katrina is now 21 and in the US Navy. Bobby also is a top sales rep with Harley-Davidson in Virginia and I'm quite proud of him. He is a bright, caring, and delightful person who, in his youth, made a bad decision.
His incarceration has since been struck from the record.