We Are Going To Oregon

It is going to be great. Early tomorrow morning, Sandy and I will be taking the Amtrak to Salem, Oregon.  We will be joined in LA by Laura, Leo, Sophie, Dolly, Mia and Lincoln.  It will take us 27 hours to get to our destination by train.  We plan to rent a van in Salem and drive South to Lincoln City where we will be visiting my sister Yoly and her husband, Dan.  About 7 cousins will be there too.  We plan to stay around 8 days.  It will be fun.

Ronald Reagan And Antonio Jaramillo

He was  the son of an alcoholic shoe salesman. His name is Ronald Reagan. He grew up poor. Ronald did pretty well for himself.  Actor, Governor of California, and President of the United States. We live in a great country....a free country. What about Antonio Jaramillo?  Ask him  if he loves America. He grew up in an orphanage in Tijuana. "When I was young, I was just looking for my next meal," he said. He kept that survivor mentality. He worked in restaurants. He cleaned toilets at San Diego State. He had two things going in his favor. First, he did not have an "I'm a victim mentality," secondly, (which is probably the most important) he was not afraid or embarrassed to work. He worked hard. He studied hard. He is now a rising star, an actor with an important role in the movie "Savages." Why not? He saw opportunities. He seized them. Hard work and determination did it for him. Not bad for a poor orphan from TJ.

Oscar Pistorious

 I congratulate Oscar Pistorious.  He is the first double amputee to ever be selected to participate in the Olympic Games.  Good for him.  Great for him.  He is a champ regardless of the outcome of his competition.  He is known as the Blade Runner.  He is a 25 year old South African.  The "blades" are artificial legs used mainly for competitive running,  He will be competing for South Africa in the 1600- meter relay.  Although his favorite event is the 400 meters, he failed to qualify for it by less than a quarter of a second.

Yes, I congratulate Oscar Pistorious.  I like his name.  It is catchy.  It is rythmic.  But aside from that, he is an inspiration to those who struggle in sports or other endeavors.  I say go for it.  Work hard, and expect the best.  I know it can be difficult.  Do it anyway.   Think of Oscar Pistorious.                            

Michael Johnson's Take On Black Sprinters

Michael Johnson Is an Olympic Games legend.  Recently he stated that black people, who are  descendants of West African slaves, have a "superior athletic gene."  His conclusion declares that black American and Caribbean sprinters will "command the sport" at the London Games. I appreciate Johnson's honesty and his willingness to discuss the subject.  I am not an expert on genetics.  However, all of us have observed who has a history of winning gold in the sprinting events. 

Is it about genes?  Maybe, maybe not.  Slavery was and is harsh.  Only the strong survive.  The strong have descendants.  Many are also strong.

 "Only the strong survive." It makes sense to me. However, any subject related to slavery is usually touchy. It is best to be led of the Spirit when speaking of such things. Otherwise one will need to settle for political correctness. When one does that, 4 things will generally occur: 1) One will remain silent or just say "hmm." 2) One will speak patronizingly or condescendingly. 3) One will attempt to be scholarly while deftly changing the subject. 4) One will speak from the heart.....but his heart will have no love or kindness in it.... and it will show.

Love is where the power is. "Love never fails." Please refer to the 4th sentence of  the above paragraph.

Why do I bring love into the discussion?  Because winning gold represents glory.  One cannot separate glory from love.  I shall explain in another blog.

Prop 29 Lost

"VOTERS NARROWLY REJECT TOBACCO TAX" read the heading on page 4 of the Union Tribune.  I am not a smoker.  I used to be.  It is a dangerous, filthy and expensive habit.  I prefer not to be around people who are smoking.  Second-hand smoke is not healthy.  I also think  that tobacco companies tend to be interested only in their bottom line.......profit.  So, what else is new?  Proposition 29 was a California initiative to increase the tax on tobacco products to pay for cancer research.  It lost.  I did not feel very strongly about it either way.  However, I am one of those who voted against it.  I voted against it because I do not want to see an increase of taxes on anything.  Please forgive me, but sometimes I view the government as a big, big leech.  Government wastes and wastes.  It misallocates and then finds itself in trouble.  "Sin tax" tends to be an appropriate term.  However, I believe in freedom.  Although I do not agree with smoking,  I agree with freedom.  Relevant to liquor, Prohibition did not work in this country.  But reality tells me that its' repeal has not worked very well either, considering all of the deaths liquor has caused. But then again, were the deaths caused by the product or by the poor choices of people?  Products are manufactured.  They are out there.  They are neutral.  Choices, on the other hand, can be very deadly. Some are not deadly.  Therefore, I choose freedom.  That freedom can permit me to learn about the greatest choices available.  I know it is necessary to obey laws.  However, I do not want the government to be telling me how to live my life.  When the government taxes something excessively, it is then telling me that I cannot have or use that something. I would rather make that decision myself.  I believe in freedom.

Chimps Are Not People, They are Animals

You can dress them in a tuxedo, give them human names and call them part of the family. Maybe you can teach them to do tricks and clap their hands and even smile.  But chimps are not people.  They are animals.  They are strong....8 times stronger than the average man.  Many people have been mauled by chimps.  A few years ago, a woman was blinded and her face disfigured by a chimp.  She had brought a birthday cake for him.  A birthday cake?  Are you kidding me?  Man, chimps are not people.  They are animals.  True, some people have a knack,  a gift, an ability to be able to deal with animals in a very special way, like Jane Goodall,  but not everyone is Jane Goodall, and even she is careful.  A little bit of common sense goes a long way.  Why do you think gorillas and other primates are in enclosures at the zoo?  What I think happens sometimes, is that people misconstrue the belief that humans are superior to all animals.  I definitely believe that humans are superior.  However, do I then proceed to be careless?  Do I then proceed to be cavalier?  Do I then proceed to "act in faith" without having faith and only arrogance?  No.  We must not do that.  I have aleady mentioned common sense.  Chimps are not people, they are animals.

"And I'm Not Even Jewish, I Just Copy"

I am willing to learn from the Jews. First of all: I will believe that there is an almighty, eternal God who loves me and thinks I am special. Next I will respect the importance of education, and acquire one. I will learn a foreign language (maybe two or more). I will travel. I won't be too young when I marry. I will graduate from medical school. I will not be jealous of successful people.  I will compete against them.  I will inquire, investigate and research. I will work hard.  I will make some good investments. I will be successful. People will be jealous of me, and say unkind things about me. No matter. It is one of the prices of success. If I have followed a stereotype, good for me. It paid off. I have done all of the aforementioned except one. Incidently, I'm not a drunk or a druggie, and I'm not even Jewish. I just copy.  I keep what is worth keeping....."and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away."

Happy Birthday, America!

On the 4th of July, 1776, the greatest nation on the planet was born.  A document was signed by 57 men that helped to create what is now known as the United States of America.  Although, at that time, only 13 colonies were represented, around 3 and a quarter million people, today there are many more.  They come from all over the world.  Here, freedom and opportunity reigns for those who are willing to continue the sacrifice.  The fathers of this nation were accused of sedition and treason.  The British military forces were the greatest military power on earth.  They faced a people who had an idea....a dream ....a notion.  This new government had a vision of greatness.  This greatness translated into liberty and opportunity.  It is still here.  One just has to look for it.   Happy birthday, America!

Gabaldon

Happy Fourth of July everyone. Happy 236th birthday, America.
 Today I would like to share with you a story about a hero of WW II that very few people know about. His name was Guy Louis Gabaldon. He was one of seven children in a Mexican-American family in East Los Angeles. As a pre-teen, he shined shoes to contribute to the family's income.  He was a member of a gang that was multi-ethnic.  At the age of 12, he moved out of his house and was "adopted" by a Japanese family.  When Guy was 17, the family he lived with was taken to an internment camp at the start of WW II. Guy joined the Marine Corps at the age of 17.  He was fluent in Japanese. 
As a Marine, he was in fierce combat in Saipan.  His exploits will probably never be equaled.  To make a long story short, he captured over 1500 Japanese prisoners......and I know this is hard to believe.  But he  used his fluency in the Japanese language to convince Japanese soldiers that they would be fed well, get medical attention, and have favorable accommodations.  Gabaldon was wounded in combat.  He was known as a "lone wolf" operator.  Guy Louis Gabaldon was awarded the Silver Star and the Navy Cross for his feats in battle. Many claim he should have been awarded the CMH, considering he captured more than 10 times the number of prisoners that Sgt. Alvin York captured in WW I.  For his exploits, he was known as the "Pied Piper of Saipan."  He passed away in 2006, at the age of 80.  I consider him a hero for what he did.  I also consider him a hero for capturing more than he killed.   Rest in peace, Guy.