Lebanon

On Friday in Seatle a man attacked a Jewish Center.  He was provoked by the violence that is currently occuring in Lebanon.  I am amazed that anyone can find such conviction in such a crazy situation.  I, myself,  find it hard to sort out my feelings towards the war in Lebanon.  I understand Israel's need to protect itself and to show Hezbollah that it will not tolerate acts of war directed at Israel.  However I don't think Hezbollah represents the entire nation of Lebanon so seeing civilians being bombed because they are in the middle of things does not raise my sympathies towards Israel.  At the same time the murder of one innocent women and wounding of several others doesn't help me sympathize for Lebanon either.  What is wrong with a world where the only way to make a point about something is to blow something up or kill an innocent? 

This war began when Hezbollah forces engaged in a cross border raid killing eight Israeli soldiers and kidnapping two.  The way I understand it is that fighting would not have escalated as far as it has had the two kidnapped soldiers been returned to Israel.  That is what kills me! 

There is a story in The Old Testament from the book of Judges.  Chapters 19-21 tell of this great civil war that took place between the tribes Israel.  It starts with an outrage being performed on one member of a tribe by members of another.  It is oversimplifying it to call it merely an outrage; a woman is gang-raped and dies, her husband seeks justice from the leaders of his people.  The people of  Israel gather together to correct the injustice.  The tribe responsible for the crime will not accept responsibility nor bring forth the guilty parties.  This leads to a civil war within the tribes of Israel. The death toll, in my calculations, is about 60,000 by the end of the three day war.  Why does this biblical story remind me of what is going on now?  An incident which in my Bible takes half a page to narrate leads to a war that takes the remaining four pages of the Book of Judges.  Is it possible that world events can be simply explained as a big game of "Quien es mas macho?"  I keep thinking that someone will accuse me of downplaying the catalysts.  But when we look at the results, shouldn't we say, "Wait a minute, this is getting out of hand."

Long Beach Aquarium

We drove out to Long Beach to see the Aquarium.  Downtown Long Beach is nice, real nice.  They keep it real clean.  The Aquarium is located in an area called The Pike and there are tons of things to see there.  There is a ferris wheel and a pontoon rental area.  Also tons of shops and restaurants.  Unfortunately the day was too hot to enjoy any of the outdoor activities but just walking around Pike center would have been nice had it not been.

The actual aquarium is pretty cool.  Lots of different species.  But too many of one in particular.  Homo-Sapiens.  It was too crowded to enjoy the many exhibits.  The Great White Shark exhibit was impossible to get close to.  It seems that once people got up close to the sharks they wouldn't leave.  Great whites are magnificent animals.  I wanted to be right up against the tank's glass to observe them but the people in the front rows would not budge from those spots.  Walking through the Aquarium was tedious.  Slow mobs moving one way, trying to avoid walking into someone's picture or not running into a wayward child were a few of the challenges posed.  If you have patience though it is a pretty fun place.  There are plenty of guides to help or answer questions like, "is an eel a fish?" (sorry Vince I forgot to ask)  Jellyfish tanks are mesmerizing.  Children surround tanks full of clown fish with moms looking on saying, "There's Nemo."  There was a tank with small phosphorescent fish and I thought "starter fish" but they have another name which I have already forgotten. 

I took a picture of myself in front of a model of a Blue Whale.  If that is an actual size model, WOW!  Seeing one of those in person would blow me away.  A month from now we will be in Hawaii.  Maybe I'll see one. 

Hope everyone is doing well this very hot summer.

Movie Review

Hello again.  The picture is my browser on Sony Pictures' site for the movie "Click".  Do you know how to take a snapshot of your computer screen?  Ask me and I will show you how to do it on a Windows machine.  It is a useful tool.

To get into someone else's air-conditioning we went to the movies yesterday and watched Click.  There is one thing that an Adam Sandler movie will always supply; a great soundtrack.  I like the fact that they used contemporary artists like Snow Patrol and Gwen Steffani (one of the songs i enjoy by her) but also squeezed in Foreigner and other late seventies and eighties bands. 

Adam Sandler comedies never surprise us in regards to plot lines.  We can call this one Capra -esque.  Still the movie was enjoyable.  Funny was funny and there was a tinge of sadness in some scenes.  I heard some sniffles in the audience.  The message strikes a chord in a world where unbridled ambition stands opposite family togetherness.  I loved the premise; a remote control that can control our personal universe.  It seems  our control of the television and computers frustrates our control of the real world.  Sometimes I find myself wanting to right click my cursor over situations and people whose properties I want to discover and I am not talking about just when I am in front of my computer. 

Also, I enjoyed seeing the actors playing Adam's parents in the movie.  Both actors I have enjoyed in the past.  Don't want to reveal their names here.  But they always warm my heart because they've been around so long and I equate them to some of my favorite characters.

Click did not dissapoint.

I have heard the complaint that this blog does not fit on the screen.  I too have noticed that.  There are a couple of fixes you can try.  On the bottom of the browser there is a horizo scroll bar.  You can center your position on the screen using that scroll bar.  Also,  you can place your cursor on the blue line at the right side of the browser.  It will turn to a line pointing right and left.  You can use this line to widen the browser.  Oh yeah, have you tried maximizing?

What I didn't say...

So I was at a friend/family gathering some weeks ago. I got into a friendly debate about SUV's. You see, I am of the opinion that these are part of the problem. I am not vocal in my derision but I feel strongly about it. I am upset that I did not pose a counter argument to the final point posed by the other side: It was said that if a person is willing to pay the extra money to drive an SUV it was that person's decision and prerogative. I remained silent as if that was the end word on that. But I now realize that I did have an answer to that comment. If you know me you know that I am not an antagonistic person. I will avoid hurting someone's feelings at all expense even if it just means avoiding a disagreement with them. But I do have a point: My point presents itself as an analogy. We were at a barbeque so the comparison was valid. You approach the table were the food was set and you put on your plate more than you need to eat, more than you will eat. Is it not true then that your faux pas did not just affect you? That food is no longer available to the other party goers. If you drive an SUV and you can afford to pay the tax for the luxury vehicle. And, you can afford the extra money you will spend to keep it fueled. Does that justify making resources scarce for everybody else? I don't think so. No other animal benifits more from interdependence than the Human one. Seeking a comfort level exponentially above the one you need or proclaiming a social status through waste are two reasons our way of life is being questioned and consequently threatened.

I love watching The People's Court

Does taking a picture of an image on your television violate copyright protection?

I enjoy the drama that is The People's Court.  It is on Monday through Friday at 1 p.m. This is around the time I get home from work.  I have grown fond of Judge Marylin Milian.  She is a pretty tuff cookie.  Her personality is both lively and earnest.  I especially like to watch when she spills her morals on social issues she takes to heart:  She doesn't like to see young people starting families before they are ready.  Nor does she approve of people who run out on their responsibilities financial or moral. Judge Milian doesn't miss an opportunity to chide unscrupulous litigants.  That can either be fun to watch or embarrassing.

I would like to use this journal to share two of my favorite cases.  Both cases were Lottery related. 

In the first the plaintiff was suing the owner of a liquor store where he had purchased his lottery numbers.  The owner of the store had input the wrong numbers into the computer so the plaintiff did not purchase the numbers he had intended to buy.  The plaintiff was not aware that he did not get the correct numbers till later.  When he checked the lottery results it turned out the numbers he had originally intended on played but the numbers he got didn't.  I think the prize was $250.  So he took the liquor store owner to court, sued him for the lottery prize $250.  The plaintiff told the court that he always played the same numbers and that if it hadn't been for the incompetence of the defendant he would be $250 richer.  Judge Milian found that the plaintiff should have corrected the mistake when he purchased the ticket.  Besides, if the 'wrong' numbers he had bought won would he still have taken the liquor store owner to court?  Would he have rejected the prize?  It was a case of "Buyer Beware."

In the second case the plaintiff had won $2000 in a state lottery.  However he couldn't collect the prize because he owed the government money in unpaid taxes.  If he were to cash in the ticket the Lotto commission would find out he owed the government and the money would go to the government.  So what does the unlucky winner do?  He asks his neighbor to cash the ticket.  Offers him $200 of the prize.  So his neighbor goes to collect.  Upon turning in the ticket theneighbor finds out that he also owes the IRS.  It came out that his ex-wife had been given financial aid because he had never paid child support. So he owed the government money for not paying child support.  This comes up when he turns in the ticket.  The prize money then goes towards payment of this debt.  The original winner sues his neighbor for failing to collect his money.  Though the Judge deemed that both litigants were trying to deceive the government the defendant did benefit from what happened.  His debt to the government had been reduced by $2000.  Even though he didn't know about the debt he still had some of it payed off.  She ordered the defendant to pay the plaintiff $1800.  She did not rule for the whole $2000 because a payment of $200 had been agreed upon at the beginning of the deal.  I felt sorry for the defendant.  But I understand the judge's ruling.

Our system of justice, civil and criminal, is such an integral part of our society.  I am glad that this show allows me a glimpse of what happens in that world.

summer, again

I am most often inspired by the sights I encounter riding to and from the gym.  Being a compulsive creature of habit, I have learned what to expect during different times or seasons.  For example, at 4 p.m. the streets are a lot less congested than at 5 p.m.  Before 4 p.m. I see a lot of high school and junior high school kids on their way home.  The things I note are not just necessarily tied to time of day.  I also notice how certain days present different landscapes.  On April 24 of every year I have to be extra careful because the Armenian population commemorates the beginning of the Armenian Genocide that day. 

http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=Armenian_Genocide

This means that I will see many cars full of youths waving flags and communicating with others from their clique.  Their driving is inhibited by the loosely joined commemorating activities.  So while in Hollywood and the Los Feliz area I am a lot more watchful of distracted drivers.  Today I was challenged by the Los Feliz Fair on Hillhurst.  I was going to place a picture of that in my journal but I chose to go in another direction. 

As soon as I get a chance I will find out the status of the building in the center of the picture.  I believe it now houses an automotive body shop.  But I am not sure.  You see many buildings like this in Hollywood.  They have a classic structure and make you wonder whether they are protected by some sort of conservancy group.  I digress.  It is not the structure of the building that allowed it placement in this blog.  If you look at the picture you see that the palm tree casts its shadow on the tower.   Big whup, right?  Well that shadow is only visible in the summer months.  I start seeing it in late April and stop seeing it in late September.  Of course I know that this is due to the Sun's position in the western sky; it's light comes at us from the North and the tree stands between Sun and the tower.  In winter the palm tree is no longer between the Sun's light and the tower.  (Did I really need to explain that? And do I really need to keep capitalizing Sun?)  Southern California is tricky in terms of climate.  Some will say that we have none.  As of late the mornings are cloudy the afternoons sunny but temperature is nondescript.  So, in the late afternoons when I am riding my bike eastbound, I check to see if I can see this shadow; to see if it is still summer.  I have done this for years and finally decided to take a picture of it.

If you know this building (it is 2 blocks east of Western and Hollywood Blvd.) and can enlighten me on its origin and status, send me the info.

I guess it is summer

I am using a larger font today because I don't have much to say.  But I want this to look like there is a lot.  The picture above is of a small (9 inch) wooden statue we have in the backyard.  It represents Jesus walking with a child. 

June is a month for children.  You will see kids all over the place in the next few weeks.  (Please drive carefully.)  Residential streets will be populated by teenagers on skateboards as will the local malls.  Playgrounds and parks will yield the screams of smaller kids on swings, slides and sandboxes.  This is hard to write about because I am far removed from my own childhood and I can't identify with what it is like to grow up in the year 2006.  I am sure that the contrasts between say 1978 and 2006 are many.  For one thing there is a lot more going on indoors now than there was then; video games, cartoon channels and personal computers with Chat and Email options come to mind.  I watch my nephews manipulate a mouse or turn on a playstation and I marvel at their ability to navigate this brave new world .  I see the kids at the malls with their cell phones and portable internet devices.  I wonder how much information they are actually processing in their minds.  It must be a lot of fun but at the same time it must be overwhelming.  There wasn't as much stimulus around when I was a kid.  But I have gone far from where I intended to be.  Summer is such a special time and we are just entering the season so I am excited.  As I mentioned the kids will be out and I still believe that we are a village, though a much larger one.  I am trying to allude to the quote, "It takes a village to raise a child."  We should all be watchfull of the children around us in the next few months.  Watch for things or situations that may harm them.  Be good role models.  And, if you get the chance, join them in their revelries.  It might be good for you as well as for them.  Here is a canadian site with tips on how to keep kids safe, just in case you want to check it out: http://www.sickkids.ca/safekidscanada/default.asp