| Etan's profileWaking DadPhotosBlogLists |  Tools  Help |
Waking DadYou can lead a horse to water... but you can't make him read your blog.
Subscribe, Rate, Comment if you must... PLEASE!!
Available @ Lulu.com
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ok... Maybe not "The Best", more like "Not The Worst" or "Table Of Contents Without The Flemm"... Just click to view
|
June 04 Boycott BrazilI have some things to write about but right now I'm to preoccupied with what is happening to a man here in my home state.
If you haven't heard of the case involving David Goldman from Tinton Falls New Jersey you only need to check out the latest headlines on any online news site. Briefly... This man's son was abducted by his Brazilian wife 5-years ago. She took their son on what was suppose to be a 2-week visit to Brazil. Her parents were even involved as they came here to "visit" and accompany their daughter and grandson back to Brazil. David was completely unaware that she planned to divorce him once there and keep their son in Brazil permanently. She later remarried an influential Brazilian lawyer whose family has repeatedly manipulated the Brazilian legal system in order to keep the boy there.
The boy's mother has since died giving birth to the lawyer's child. So now the boy is living with the stepfather. David Goldman has been fighting for five years to regain custody of his son. All the while his stepfamily has been telling him lies about his real father and hiding him whenever David was give visitation rights by lower Brazilian courts. He has been there 11 times trying to get his son. This is not a wealthy man, but he keeps going back anyway.
Does anyone remember the case of Elián González? The Cuban kid who's mother abducted him from Cuba and subsequently died trying to bring him to America. Elian was the only survivor of the capsizing of their boat at sea. His relatives here in Miami fought tooth and nail to keep him here but when it was ruled that he was to be returned to his father in Cuba by US courts, the national guard forcibly removed him from his relatives at gunpoint in Miami and returned him to be reunited with his father in Cuba.
The United States was accused of being guilty of kidnapping by Cuba and other nations. The international community was all over us on the issue. Yet I don't hear them clamoring now over this case. I don't see any Youtube videos about it or any other protests about it.
Where is the outrage people? What if it was your child or grandchild?
Now we learn that there are currently 66 other children that have been abducted and are being held in Brazil. How long has this been going on and how many others have there been? I'm sure there are other countries that also have abducted children there as well.
I say if the Brazilian court does not uphold the Hague Treaty and return this boy to his father in their ruling today, that there should be a nation wide boycott of all things Brazilian. Brazil's economy is largely dependant on exports and tourism. Even If you have no intention of ever traveling to Brazil there are many things that come from there that we purchase here.
Brazil is the world's leading exporter of sugar, coffee, beef, and orange juice. Other exports are soybeans, vehicles and footwear. Can you guess who are the biggest consumers of Brazilian products? We are! The United States is by far the #1 importer of these goods. Don't take my word for it... look for yourself: http://internationaltrade.suite101.com/article.cfm/brazil_s_trade_buddies
I won't knowingly buy anything that comes from Brazil. I won't go to a movie that is connected in anyway to Brazil. If I was otherwise so inclined I wouldn't even get a Brazilian Wax! Please think about what you are supporting next time you are sipping you Brazilian coffee or are tempted to purchase something labeled "Made In Brazil".
You can also voice your opinion here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/boycott-brazil-until-sean-goldman-is-returned
God's Speed David Goldman... I pray you and your son will be together soon.
May 21 ReconnectingLast week one evening I was watching ‘My Boys’ on TBS, the episode was about social networking, which has been around for a while now, but until last week I really didn’t feel compelled to partake in it myself. I even warned Spicy against it having heard some things that I thought were cause for caution in jumping in too quickly. I’m not sure why but the episode got me thinking and that evening I logged onto Facebook and started typing in names.
In the episode, which was pretty funny, they explored “on-line” friends vs. "real-life" friends. They also touched on connecting with “exs” as friends, “on-line” friends that is, and how this could be “healthy” for mature individuals and “threatening” to those less grown-up.
As I entered the names of people from my past, I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t find some of my old close friends who probably like me had no interest in participating in social networking and who obviously did not watch the same shows that I did. I was able to find a couple of them and I thought… “Well that’s a start.
The next day I thought about looking to see if any of my “exs”, (of which there are many) where on “The Book” and whether I really wanted to open up that potential can of worms. I thought about it… I have always considered myself a mature person and I still cared about people even though we’re no longer in a relationship. I also thought that there were some that might automatically consider even the smallest gesture toward friendship as a type of cyber-stalking.
One in particular I was not going to contact even though I saw her profile. This was the one that I wrote about in ‘Strike Two’. I’m the kind of person that can be forgiving but I will not give someone a second chance to slap a hand extended in friendship. Ten or more years ago I attempted to contact her just to say hello by sending a short friendly email. She responded by curtly dismissing me.
Another I did send a brief note to, the one I wrote about in ‘Swing And A Miss’, who didn’t even dane to respond at all. Even though she is obviously quite active in the network by the number of “friends” she has... Oh well.
Anyway, I was very pleased to hear back from some old acquaintances. We did some catching up… Married? Kids? Working? It’s been fun. I’ve enjoyed hearing from them and reconnecting as friends.
Through reconnecting with one of my exs I also learned that one of my old “real-life” friends who had fallen off the radar the past seven years since Spicy and I got married and whom I often wondered about but couldn't find until now is battling stage IV cancer.
I frequently marvel at where life can lead and the means by which that guidance is delivered. Something as simple as a silly comedy show can be the catalyst to get you where you need to be, if you stay alert to the subtle signs.
April 23 Where There's a Will...This has been an interesting month so far...
It started off with me buying a new car, 08 Kia Rondo, very nice, not what I had planned on but I've learned to go with the flow when it is working in my favor. This prompted the start of our mortgage refi to take advantage of the low rates and pay for the car I had just bought.
This in turn prompted the necessity to wrap up several projects around the house as well as a general sprucing up of the premises in preparation for a home appraisal, which is part of the refinancing process we are in and is key to getting the best terms for the refi. I realize that the appraiser will probably not notice the fix-ups we make, but in my mind it is better that they don't notice the good than to notice the bad. Better that they leave with a vague impression that the place is well kept than a vague unfinished, messy feeling. It's proven very difficult to get motivated to get the things on my to-do-in-preparation-for-the appraisal list completed. Last weekend for example...
I had every intention of spending a good part of both Saturday and Sunday outside because the weather was predicted to be pretty good. The weekend before I spent several hours each day working on scraping and painting the front entrance and bay window trim. On that sunny windy Sunday I was carrying a load of tools down the front porch when I looked up to see a passing car instead of looking down to see that I was a foot closer to the first step than I thought, immediately plunged down and severely twisted my ankle. Having just finished setting up my stuff and not knowing exactly when the appraiser would come I soldered on, with the help of three Motrin. I finished the front trim work but the rest of the week was a wash due to my swollen bruised ankle and the desire not to get back on a ladder and the tree pollen allergy that flared due to spending all day in it as the wind generously dispersed it about.
I never think to check pollen levels before hand this time of year.
I still had to finish the patio I started last year and had to stop due to the onset of cold weather, The trim around the shed that I started but never finished and is now severely peeling, cleaning the north side of the house that had grown a nice coating of mold from being the north side, sanding and leveling the front entrance stairs and pavers which had started sprouting weeds in the cracks, fixing the broken gate latch, and lastly doing the first lawn cutting of the season.
Last weekend I thought I could get to a good portion of these...
Saturday I was still so tired from the allergy attack I could barely get out of bed. I started by telling myself I would get outside by noon, then we went for a quick ride for a few things, then lunch, then I told myself I would get out by late afternoon, which turned into tomorrow. All the while recalculating my list and time frame. Sunday I was still feeling wiped. I had to lie down for an afternoon nap but I was determined to get something done... that is until Chickie came screaming upstairs to get me cause Mommy was hurt. I bounded down the stairs in my socks on my still sore swollen ankle trying not to take another fall, limped-ran down the hall to find Spicy standing over the sink holding a paper towel over her hand making a 'Oh I can't believe I did that' noise. Which never makes me feel good.
'What did you do?' I asked, half afraid to find out. I really didn't want to see what was under the paper towel... but I looked anyway. I'm still not quite sure how she did this but she had gashed the back of her thumb with a serrated knife while cutting a bagel for Chickie.
It was long and deep.
So I fought off the urge to hurl, threw on my shoes, got the girls in the car to dump on the neighbors while I ran Spicy up to the emergency room to get stitched up. Once we dropped off the girls I couldn't help but think back on the last time I drove up to the hospital with Spicy the day Googie was born. It was allot like that... with out all the screaming, sweating, running red lights and toll booths and driving up curbs to go around people. I also tried to figure out just how the hell you slash the back of your thumb while cutting a bagel.
It turned out Spicy was ok after getting cleaned up and stitched... I didn't really want to do anything outside anyway. I would just have to do as much as I could each day after work. I got the patio done, the front pavers leveled and sanded, (even after locking myself and Googie out of the car with no cell phone to call for backup while making a quick run to The Depot for sand). Last evening I finished scrubbing the entire north side top and bottom just as the sun set and the rain came. Today I will cut the lawn, fix the gate and to hell with the rest.
The appraiser is coming tomorrow morning at 10 am. Where there is a will... there's usually a deadline not far behind.
No pun intended.
March 27 Hairy Times.I was having a protracted new-age conversation with my cousin, (via email) about a planned get together. I haven't seen her in a few years so we are due. Things have happened in her life since I last saw her... these are after all, hairy times we're living in. You adapt or you perish. There is no other choice. She is as always a survivor.
Growing up we were close, she and I being the closest in age of the cousin pack. We shared some special times together, like leaving wet ass prints on the slate entrance of the Methodist church down the street, summer sleepovers, spooky movies, and the Peppermint Twist.
Anyway, she reminded me that I am older than her... barely. My hair keeps reminding me of my age. I find myself at the age where each morning I seem to be grayer than the night before. But I do however consider myself fortunate that I have a wife that finds this attractive. This does not keep her from periodically teasing me about it. You ladies are lucky in that regard. You can dye your follicles and no one thinks twice about it but when a guy does it it's just sad.
I live in an area where there happens to be a large number of senior citizens coinciding with the large number of senior citizen developments in the area... It's kind of like Boca Raton in December or Branson in July, except it's all year long here. Anyway I see older men with skin that is pale as a vampire before a feeding and hair that looks like Michael J. Fox back in his 'Family Ties' days and I just want to walk up and slap these guys across the face. "Wake up! You're old... Own it already!"
On the flipside... my brother who is a year and a half younger than me has had the same hairstyle since high school... he also has not cut it since then. This worked for him because he was a rock guitarist and lead singer. But now it's the new millennium and the "hair" bands of the 80s are long, long gone. To his credit he is nowhere near as gray as I currently find myself. I can only attribute this to the fact that he is not married and has no children. He is also in great shape which I also attribute to the non-married, childless status. Out of the blue this week I heard from him... (another email) "Guess what I did?". I haven't seen him yet but I'm looking forward to it. My mother said it's really short and that he looks like me... Poor fella.
These are indeed hairy times. March 19 I Need Your HelpHello again,
It's about time for what has become my monthly posting... I find myself in an interesting quandary, that being I really don't have much to post about and yet I feel I have so much to offer. Does that make sense?
So I decided to ask you all for help in this regard. But first a little background:
I'm going to start a new blog... I mean my own blog not a sponsored blog like here at good old SPACES, but one owned and operated by yours truly. It has been on my mind so much that I find that I'm having brain freeze or more aptly put, 'inspiration paralysis'.
Therefore my request to you is to send me any suggestions you have for topics you would be interested in. It could be anything at all. It could be a question about something I've already mentioned in previous postings or a question on a topic that you think I may have some insight to give. It could be a "What would you do if" question or "How would you handle this" scenario. It could even be like... "Hey Etan, I have this strange rash that just won't stop itching... ". It doesn't matter... make a list.
So I really would be grateful for your input, even if you have never left a comment before please do so. I know there are plenty of lurkers out there reading this. I want to hear from you. It would only take a minute to sign-up in SPACES, (you don't have to give your really real identity you know. Invent an alter ego identity and run with it. One that likes to comment on blogs preferably) and comment away.
I eagerly await the landslide of suggestions I surely will receive... I hope.
Thanks.
|
Blogs I enjoy
What's doing at the homestead
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Send a private message
Subscribe to RSS feed
Tell a friend
Add to My MSN
Add to your network
Sign up for alerts|
|
