Saturday, April 21, 2018

A Simple Phrase But A Valuable Lesson. Arrogant Jewish Leaders - Ben Gurion Was Omniscient..Our Caribbean Trip. The Cleveland Berkowitzes.

"Thanks for the essay on diversity.  I agree wholeheartedly.  B--"

And:


"Your editorial was beautiful and "right on".  I do believe that things will change, but not necessarily in our generation.  I do see hope in my grandchildren and their generation.
Color does not seem to be an issue....except when called to their attention by their parents that are still semi/conscious in the matter of diversity.

BUT......while whites are intolerant, some of the reasons are provoked by blacks, and they, too, must get their act together.  The slavery issue is over-played....Irish could claim as much, as can Jewish...but they don't.
No matter....it isn't happening to them, now, nor has it been for a very long time.  So, don't forget it, but stop using it as an excuse.  We allow that to happen!  We are brainwashed into feeling the guilt even though we had no part in it.  

Whatever....I'm going to go eat a bagle.  Thank God (and I do) for the beygel....


m"

And:

Think you will find this fascinating:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkVTdvcghHc&feature=youtu.be
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I recently posted an article about Israel's upcoming 70th birthday and the negative reaction of American Jewish leaders to Ben Gurion's belief Israel would eventually become the center of world Jewish life.

While these Jewish leaders were castigating Ben Gurion, I have a photo that hangs in my "man cave" of my father and 17 other American Jews who met in Rudy Sonneborn's apartment with Ben Gurion for the purpose of preparing for Israel's establishment in a variety of ways.

The article also noted The CIA was against Truman's support for establishing the state of Israel because they did not believe the country would survive two years.

My father died Dec 20,1985 and lived to see the State of Israel not only survive but thrive.  If he were alive today he would be bursting with pride of the nation's accomplishments under the most difficult circumstances and that he played a small part in seeing this dream come true.,

I also want to note how often experts and those with high profiles are wrong because they either do not have the courage to go against the conventional and/or are unable to think outside the box. The CIA has done some marvelous things and they have also screwed up badly. I have been told that we have spent over $7 trillion for "black operations" for which the money is not actually fully accounted.I have no way of proving this but would not be surprised.  American Jewish Leadership is no different when it comes to being wrong on so many fronts.

Meanwhile, it was only a few days ago anti-Trumper's laughed at/mocked Trump's approach toward foreign policy and most Democrats seem opposed to his selection for Sec of State.  N Korea has apparently decided to cease firing missiles etc.  Even if they are offering a peace branch prior to their forthcoming meeting we know how cunning they and China are and we must remain circumspect. Nevertheless, Trump's unorthodox methods could prove effective and even might work better than fecklessness (What a surprise.) Hanson could well be right regarding Trump's downside  proving to actually be his upside.

With Amb. Bolton at his side, I hope Pompeo will also be confirmed, Trump and America will have a far better chance than President's Obama and Bill Clinton ever had with their approach and advisors.

Never feed bullies - a simple phrase a valuable lesson.
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The DNC is going to go court shopping . (See 1 below.)
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Now for some wonderful humor. (See 2 below.)
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When we returned from our relaxing Caribbean Cruise I promised to write a review and have not had the time until now.

There is really not much to say .(See 3 below.)

Life is not about the number of breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away!! That fits the Caribbean for its physical beauty.
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Georgia's Sen. Perdue is interviewed:

President Trump has gotten China's attention and is working to improve access to this valuable market. GA Senator David Perdue I joined CNBC's Squawk Box this week to talk about these ongoing negotiations.

Watch the interview here.
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Dick
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1)DNC Sheds Tears, Files Suit Against Orgs Who 'Helped' Trump Win
     
  • by: Avery Anapol


The Democratic National Committee is suing the Russian government, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks, alleging that the three entities conspired to help Trump win the election. 

The Washington Post reported Friday that the DNC filed the multi-million dollar lawsuit in federal district court in Manhattan. 

“During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russia launched an all-out assault on our democracy, and it found a willing and active partner in Donald Trump’s campaign,” DNC chair Tom Perez said in a statement. 

“This constituted an act of unprecedented treachery: the campaign of a nominee for President of the United States in league with a hostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the presidency."
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2)ORIGINAL MESSAGE:



I'VE BEEN TEACHING FOR 15 YEARS. I HAVE 2 CHILDREN MYSELF, BUT THE

BEST BIRTH I KNOW IS THE ONE I SAW IN MY OWN 2ND GRADE CLASSROOM A FEW

YEARS BACK.



WHEN I WAS A KID I LOVED SHOW-N-TELL.  SO I ALWAYS HAVE A FEW SESSIONS

WITH MY STUDENTS. IT HELPS THEM GET OVER SHYNESS AND USUALLY,

SHOW-N-TELL IS PRETTY TAME.  KIDS BRING IN PET TURTLES, MODEL PLANES,

PICTURES OF FISH THEY CATCH, STUFF LIKE THAT. AND I NEVER, EVER PLACE

ANY BOUNDARIES OR LIMITATIONS ON THEM.  IF THEY WANT TO LUG IT IN TO

SCHOOL AND TALK ABOUT IT, THEY'RE WELCOME.



WELL ONE DAY THIS LITTLE GIRL, ERICA, A VERY BRIGHT, VERY OUTGOING

KID, TAKES HER TURN AND WADDLES UP TO THE FRONT OF THE CLASS WITH A

PILLOW STUFFED UNDER HER SWEATER.



SHE HOLDS UP A SNAPSHOT OF AN INFANT.  "THIS IS LUKE, MY BABY BROTHER,

AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIS BIRTHDAY."



"FIRST MOM AND DAD MADE HIM AS A SYMBOL  OF THEIR LOVE, AND THEN DAD

PUT A SEED IN MY MOM'S  STOMACH, AND LUKE GREW IN THERE.  HE ATE FOR

NINE MONTHS THROUGH AN UMBRELLA CORD.'



SHE'S STANDING THERE WITH HER HANDS ON THE PILLOW, AND I'M TRYING NOT

TO LAUGH AND WISHING I HAD MY CAMCORDER WITH ME.  THE KIDS ARE

WATCHING HER IN AMAZEMENT.



'THEN ABOUT 2 SATURDAYS  AGO, MY MOM STARTS GOING, "OH, OH, OH, OH!

ERICA PUTS A HAND BEHIND HER BACK AND GROANS.  'SHE WALKED AROUND THE

HOUSE FOR, LIKE AN HOUR, 'OH, OH, OH' (NOW THIS KID IS DOING A

HYSTERICAL DUCK WALK AND GROANING).



'MY DAD CALLED THE MIDDLE WIFE.  SHE DELIVERS BABIES, BUT SHE DOESN'T

HAVE SIGN ON THE CAR LIKE THE DOMINIO'S MAN.  THEY GOT MY MOM TO LIE DOWN

IN BED LIKE THIS.'  (THEN ERICA LIES DOWN WITH HER BACK AGAINST THE

WALL)



'AND THE, POP!  MY MOM HAD A BAG OF WATER SHE KEPT IN THERE IN CASE HE

GOT THIRSTY, AND IT JUST BLEW UP AND SPILLED ALL OVER THE BED, LIKE

PSSHHHEEW!" (THIS KID  HAS HER LEGS SPREAD WITH HER LITTLE HANDS

MIMING WATER FLOWING AWAY.  IT WAS TOO MUCH!)



'THEN THE MIDDLE WIFE STARTS SAYING 'PUSH, 'PUSH,' AND BREATHE,

BREATHE.  THEY STARTED COUNTING, BUT NEVER EVEN GOT PAST TEN.  THEN,

ALL OF A SUDDEN, OUT COMES MY BROTHER.  HE IS COVERED IN YUCKY STUFF

THAT THEY ALL SAID IT WAS FROM MOM'S PLAY-CENTER, SO THERE MUST BE A

LOT OF TOYS INSIDE THERE.  WHEN HE GOT OUT, THE MIDDLE WIFE SPANKED

HIM FOR CRAWLING UP IN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.'



THEN ERICA STOOD UP, TOOK A BIG THEATRICAL BOW AND RETURNED TO HER SEAT.



I'M SURE I APPLAUDED THE LOUDEST.  EVER SINCE THEN, WHEN IT'S

SHOW-N-TELL DAY, I BRING MY CAMCORDER, JUST IN CASE ANOTHER 'MIDDLE

WIFE' COMES ALONG.

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3) We signed up for this 10 day Caribbean for four reasons and in this order.

1) It left from Miami and returned to Miami where after the cruise we celebrated Passover with our son's in-laws.

2) It seemed reasonable price-wise.

3) It  went to some new islands we had never visited.

4) Our agent , whom we have had excellent cruising experiences, said Oceania Cruises was a good line, the food, accommodations and crew were excellent and the ship was not monstrous in size.  Krista Racuglia was right on all counts and for anyone who wants  cruising and container ship experiences I urge you consider Tvl Tips which has subsequently been acquired by Travel of America.  
                                                                                       668 Arrow Grand Cir
                                                                                       Covina, Ca. 91722-2145
                                                                                        800-228-8843
They are experts in freighter  bookings and Krista is superb.

Lamentably, I always wanted to experience this type of cruising, Lynn was reluctant , so we compromised and sailed to the Marquesas Islands aboard a ship that was half passenger, have freighter. Most freighter restrictions  limit passengers past 79-80.

We sailed aboard The  Riviera  The ship takes about 1250 passengers, was built in 2012, is about 785 ft, cruises around 22 knots and has a staff size of 800 which is international.  The officers are European.

A few more things about the boat itself.  They have four excellent special restaurants- Italian, Meat- French- Asian. In addition they have the main dining room and two other restaurants that we found preferable because of the food they served.  On was for a light lunch or breakfast and the other for more variety for lunch and breakfast.  The staff was outstanding, courteous, attentive and the interaction among them appeared excellent.

The entertainment was actually quite good.  The main orchestra was superb, they had a Broadway singer/underling who reminded me of Ethel Merman and a ventriloquist who was actually very good. The auditorium was comfortable.

Other lounges included smaller bands, a good pianist-bar and they had the usual gift shops and a small casino and beautiful Spa run by Canyon Ranch and quite pricey as one would expect.

What I liked most was the fact that you were not nickel-ed and dimed.

Nassau was our first port and we have been there many times so we bought some Scotch for neighbors who were taking care of our mail and newspapers.

The second port was Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.  We did a bus tour of a rum , cigar and chocolate factory which I would rate a c.  Bus was comfortable, guide ok but tour not worth the money.  Probably would have been wiser to rent a cab and tour on our own. We did see some beautiful tourist developments and had a beach lunch that was enjoyable.

The third port was Gustavia, St Barts.  The seas were rough and we had to barge over from the boat.  On the way we saw Abramovich, the Russian Oligarch's, ship, the largest private yacht in the world. 

St Barts is the new playground of the rich and famous and we just walked around the bay front.  I saw  Uma Thurman with her precious daughter walking .  The town is lined with the most fashionable stores and names and I call it a Label Island, ie. Louis Vuiton, Rolex, Patek Philippe etc.

We were told the restaurants were superb but we simply walked around for several hours.  The homes are magnificent and we picked up a brochure of homes for sale for our real estate daughter from a world renown real estate firm and wow.  No home was less than 2 million Euros and most were above 5 and up to 15 million euros. They were contemporary, sectional, and magnificent.  We never got to the beach side but were told it was outstanding. A lot of prominent people own homes there and the views they have must be magnificent.

St John's, Antqua  was the next port and, once again we just walked around to town.  This is the town where the famous Nelson's Dockyard is located.  Lynn  has a  Landing's  friend she sees at the Fitness Center whose husband has a boat docked at Nelsons and he is a charter skipper and she said we should go there because the Dockyard has lovely shops and restaurants in the same area. We did not but if we have one regret it was that we did not.

Castries, St Lucia is an island we had visited before so we really did very little but it is known for unique gingerbread architecture, a rain forest with banana plantations, a waterfall , kayaking etc.

Next, Basseterre, St Kitt, Nevis.  This was one of our most enjoyable and extensive tours.  Bassaterre is the oldest city in the Caribbean  but we chose, instead to catamaran over to Nevis, a contiguous (nearby) Island. Our first stop , after landing, was to take advantage of the Great Salt Pond therapeutic springs where I dunked my left knee for a few minutes.  

Nevis is the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton and because he was born out of wedlock he could not attend the Catholic Schools so, instead, the Jewish Community, which at that time was sizable, allowed him to go to their school.  

We toured the entire town (all of 15 minutes) and then proceeded to a magnificent , small guest hotel where Princess Diana loved to take her boys and also went after her divorce.. The hotel was at the very top of this volcanic Island, the public rooms were beautiful and were adorned with magnificent large paintings done by a Canadian artist who had moved to Nevis.  They were truly gems, the kind I wanted to steal off the wall.  They had a menu on the bar and it looked great but very expensive.

From there we went to a great beach side restaurant and had a delicious meal then beached for the remaining time, reloaded and back to catch our catamaran and to Basseterre.  I forgot to mention that we chose this tour because it was Sunday and all the shops were closed.

General comments:

The Caribbean islands are very similar in many ways but they also differ in topography, size, customs. because they were Colonized by the Spanish, French, Danes, Dutch, Portuguese and, of course, England, until they became independent.  Consequently, the  influence of each country is evident.  Caribbean food is outstanding and mainly related to the fact that they have abundant fish, seafood and grow wonderful fruit and vegetables. Rum is the mainstay indigenous liquor and sugar plantations abound.  The Dominican Republic is the largest Island population-wise and is totally self sufficient in food production. Retirement development is extensive .

Not much evidence of Muslim intrusion but I believe, lamentably, it is only a matter of time before radical Islamists begin to seep into the region.

Highlight:

The highlight of the trip was the serendipitous meeting of Stuart and Lora Berkowitz,  from Cleveland.  We were having dinner at a four person table and we were asked would we mind if two other people joined us and we said no. It so happens the hostess thought we were related since we had the same last name.  Turned out we were not but we became fast friends, had a lot in common and I kept telling Stuart he looked like Frank Sinatra, which he did. Lora is a stunning blond, conservative and a great sense of humor as well as Stuart.  They are now suffering members of these memos and I /we hope they will visit us in Savannah.

Stuart is in the cemetery business and has obviously done well..  I can relate because my father, with three other partners, had an interest in three cemeteries in Miami and I was in charge  of the ground crew while I was going to law school and we lived in the ground keeper's home.  Thus my mordant sense of humor.

Lynn no longer likes to take pictures but she took a few and I hope she will send me some at a later date.  I asked her to take a picture of the Nassau Traffic Police but alas she did not. I love their snappy uniforms, white pith helmets, black trousers with thin red stripes and their white jackets. 
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