That Lost Look

We've been in the desert for almost a year and I'm thinking today of a certain look I noticed on the faces of men in their 60's and 70's here that struck me right off the bat. Many of them seem to be out wandering around with no particular place to go (Chuck Berry), having told themselves around noon
that it was time they got out of the house. Dressed well and healthy-looking they appear to have been dumped here by a big storm and have no idea what they are supposed to do next. In other words, these are retired guys.

Their cars are there in the parking lot--expensive, spotless, and bearing plates from Michigan, Canada, Oregon, Minnesota, any place there is snow. There are so many Canadians here that one of the radio stations runs five minutes of news and stock reports every morning and afternoon. The sponsor, JFK Hospital, calls itself "your Canadian-friendly medical center." A lot of people around here are from British Columbia, hey, and may need to see a doc about an old hockey injury, or a new one from golf.

Things got a little scary in Barnes & Noble when I overheard a very fit and dignified man in his eighties describing his routine to someone, "I exercise, read, write novels, and I'm bored to death." It ain't easy.

Talk amongst yourselves.

Mumbai

In addition to the local landmarks that have been attacked in Mumbai, a Jewish center run by the Chabad group has been invaded and occupied by these terrorists. Why, for heaven's sake? What has a Muslim-and/or-Pakistani hatred of Hindu India got to do with Jews? Why not go after a Catholic or Protestant or Sikh house of worship too? The ages-old anti-semitism in the heart of modern Islamic terrorism reveals itself even in far-off Mumbai, which has nothing to do with the Arab-Israeli problem. This ugly head will pop up any where it has an opening. Any where.

And who are these killers? Witnesses have said that they were very young men, almost boys. Who filled their ignorant minds with the belief that in their local rampages they must also go after any Jews who happen to be about?

Jews and gays are the canaries in the coal mine. When fury is spreading, they will be the first to feel it. We've seen this before.

The Desert Autumn

The sunlight was pale today and through the window I noticed that autumn here is related, as a cousin, to the ones I knew in Minnesota. Leaves do change color and it looks chilly outside even if it isn't. There was rain and, tonight, some thunder and lightning as we had our dinner on Thanksgiving Eve.

It is said that you need to live a year in a place to get the full feel of it and our first year in the desert is just about up. I'll give it a rave review. Without doubt, this is the most beautiful area we have ever been in: ever-changing colors on the mountains, green palms against blue sky, red bougainvillae around the house. As the Gershwins asked, "who could ask for anything more?"

Happy Thanksgiving, we've been through worse.

The Acting (Real) President

Barack Obama is a dignified man who wants to do things in the proper manner. He reads American history and cherishes tradition; we have one President at a time, as he says, and he has no power until January 20th. Therefore, he must be dismayed by the behavior of President George W. Bush since the election. Last weekend was reminiscent of the scary weekends in September when the financial system began to burn up, but where was Bush? Cavorting in a pancho in Peru. Now, it is customary for world leaders to don the native costumes of the host countries at economic summits but poor, clueless George looked especially pathetic as the American people and the world
wondered just how far this fall would be.

Bush was of no help at all and events and history told Obama that his appearance in this drama might be much sooner than expected. The lead actor had suddenly taken a powder and the stage was bare. The President-elect has taken his cue and is speaking and acting as a President must. Who told Bush he could knock off two months early?

I wonder if the worst of George W. is yet to come.

Inauguration

This is a test from a brand new blog in California.