Talkeenta

The next day (Tuesday) we had a continental breakfast that was included and then waited for the shuttle to come. It was late and when I asked the receptionist the first time she said he was 5 minutes away. When I went back 10 minutes later she said he was still 5 minutes away. I asked her if we could just walk to the train station and she said we couldn’t (we later found out we could have.) I told her that I did not care for the disorganization of the shuttles to which she tried to act as though I was the one who scheduled and ran them so late. The shuttle did come 15 minutes late and it took 2 to get to the train station. We checked in our bags and they were tagged to our hotel in Talkeenta (the Talkeenta Alaskan Lodge) so we wouldn’t have to get them when we arrived.

There are two classes of travel on the Alaska Railroad: Adventure Class (Economy) and Gold Star (First-Class.) We were in Gold Star. We got our boarding passes and they helped us pre-board. The Gold Star cars have the dining car on the lower level and the passenger seats on the glass-enclosed upper level. There was a small elevator that was very slow so we didn’t have to take the stairs, but we did have to get a crewmember every time we wanted to use it. The Gold Star cars also have their own dinning car separate from the Adventure Class one, but you had to walk down stairs to get to it so we had to sit in the regular dinning car each time. Also the only bathrooms were downstairs. We had to wear little pins saying we were in the Gold Star car and the crew took those very seriously. While we were in the regular dinning car having breakfast (which was really good – we both had stuffed French toast) the conductor came through asking for our tickets – I guess he didn’t see our pins, but once he saw us sitting back in the Gold Star seating area he left us alone. There is one annoying thing that happened to us on every train we took throughout our trip: the crew members would always hang out in the Gold Star car right behind our seat and talk the whole time to each other. I can tell you who is sleeping with whom and who got in trouble for what. I don’t think that was very professional at all, but especially not in the Gold Star cars.

When we got to Talkeenta – after 8 hours - we were met by the hotel (the Talkeenta Alaskan Lodge) shuttle – which was wheelchair accessible - that took us to the Lodge. We got there around noon and couldn’t check-in until after 3 pm so they kept our bags for us and we had lunch and then went on our glacier tour at 3 pm. We were in the lobby of the Lodge and saw a guy walk in look around and leave without saying anything. As he was driving away I saw a sign on his van that said “K 2 Aviation” which is the company we needed. I had the Lodge call the company and they sent someone else for us – you would think that the guy would at least announce why he was there if he was picking people up.

I didn’t care for the people at the K 2 Aviation. They didn’t keep you informed – especially when we were already late leaving. We were scheduled to take a small plane and land on a glacier, but they didn’t let our plane land on the glacier – they said it was because of heavy snow, but the plane that arrived before we left got to do it and I think the one after us did too. I think they didn’t want us personally going on the glacier (they made us prove that we could get in and out of the small plane when they didn’t make anyone else.) It was a big disappointment especially considering that we only went to Talkeenta for one night solely to do the glacier tour. It would have been cool to brag to others that we had walked on a glacier too. We got a slip from the company to get a partial refund from our tour company, but like I said it’s not about the money but the bragging rights.

The Talkeenta Alaskan Lodge was nice. We had a mountain-view room in the main Lodge. The food was good as was our waiter (we had him for both dinner and then breakfast the next day.) The hostess and other restaurant staff were pretty rude several times though. I should mention that throughout our trip I saw many Russians everywhere – it is as though they were leftover from when Russia owned Alaska (which they did up until 1867.)

Alaska Bound

We dropped our two dogs off at the kennel on Sunday (June 26th) and started our trip. We had dinner at Cracker Barrel (in New Hampshire) and then headed to Boston and our hotel. We got stuck in a big traffic jam in Medford, Massachusetts. They are doing construction on I-93 over the summer. Eventually we made it to our off-airport parking center where they were nice enough to drive us to our hotel (the Hilton that is connected to Logan) instead of making us take their shuttle to Terminal A and then a hotel shuttle - the hotel is connected to the airport by two very long covered walkways which we took when we went to Iceland last March and didn’t like. We checked into our room and watched TV.

The next morning (Monday, June 27th) we took the hotel shuttle back to Terminal A and went to check-in with Alaska Airlines. I should mention that I have never flown Alaska Airlines before. I should also mention that I found Alaska Airlines (like other places in Alaska we went to) have their own sense of time. When a flight is supposed to leave at 8 am to a non-Alaskan it means that it will leave sometime between 7 am and 9 am to an Alaskan and you just need to be ready at a moment’s notice. We had First-Class tickets and so stood in the line for First-Class only to find there was no one working there. We had to wait and go into a regular check-in. When it was time to go through security we again looked for either a First-Class or a handicapped lane, but did not find one. I have had issues in the past with the TSA at Logan, but this time they were pretty good. We found our gate and waited for our flight.

They pre-boarded us (which didn’t make much difference since we were in First-Class) and wanted to put the wheelchair under the plane – even though there are closets inside every plane for one chair right in front. We had a few words with the flight attendants and they finally agreed to let the chair on-board. The head flight attendant even had the nerve to say that while we were boarded first we would be taken off last to which both my mother and I replied that that was not going to do especially since we had a connection to make.

The flight itself was pretty bumpy. The food (which was free in First-Class) was not very good or tasty. Their entertainment systems (again free for us) were handheld things that made it hard to watch – they should have been on the back of the seats like most airlines. They had a few current movies, but most were from the 1980s and a few from the 1960s. One good thing is that you could change movies whenever you wanted instead of waiting for all the movies to play before they restarted them. We were able to pay to use Internet on-board though – which was the first time I have ever used the Internet on a plane in the air. The rest of the flight was uneventful.

We landed in Seattle where we made sure to be one of the first off the plane (seating in Aisle 2 helped) with our chair and right away I noticed the disgusting smell, the overcrowding and the filthiness everywhere. We landed in Terminal N (which looks and feels like a shack) and had to take a train that gave the station information in Japanese first and sometimes in English to Terminal C. We had some time to kill before our next flight and we wanted to go to Alaska Airlines’ Boardroom, but found out it was too far away and so then we went to the main food court where there were no tables and lines of 5 people deep. We went to Wendy’s where they messed our order up. We took the food back to the gate to sit and found the food too disgusting to eat. I do not like the Seattle Airport and will not go back there if I can help it. It feels more like being in a Third World Airport than in an American one.

Again we pre-boarded for our flight to Anchorage (with the same random time changes.) The plane was exactly the same as the one we took from Boston with the same movies, bad food, etc. The only difference this time is that we had to put the chair under the plane instead of inside the cabin – I guess someone’s coat was more important because that’s all that was in the closet.

We landed in Anchorage where I first thought the airport was pretty nice (that would change.) Alaska Airlines has a policy that your bags will be delivered to you within 20 minutes – which they kept the whole time – and so I got our bags and went to the hotel phones to call the Comfort Inn only to find it was not listed and so you couldn’t call them since you needed a special hotel number to call them. I went outside to tell my mom right when a Comfort Inn van pulled up. The guy was looking for a group of 3, but took us instead (we never did get that group of 3.) There were 2 other people in the van that were from Connecticut. For the first part of the trip we only met people from New England and then the last part we met only people from the South.

We got to the Comfort Inn (which was close to the train station) only to find it very creepy and smelling of sewage. People were fishing in a very small creek right across the street. We checked-in and made arrangements for our shuttle the next morning to the train station. Since there was no restaurant on-site and we didn’t want to take a taxi to one we called a pizza place and they delivered to us.

That was our trip from New Hampshire to Anchorage. It took us 3 hours to drive to Boston by car, 6 hours to fly to Seattle where we had a 3 hour layover then a 3 ½ hour flight to Anchorage where we were 4 hours behind Eastern Time. It took some getting used to having 21 hours of sunlight too.

Going To Alaska

I am going to Boston tomorrow to start my vacation to Alaska. And no I'm not going by cruise. It is a private tour that will include planes, trains, boats and buses. I don't know when or if I will write while I am gone, but definitely will when I get back in just under 2 weeks. For those wondering I will be celebrating my birthday (a big one) on this trip.

Gilad Shalit: 5 Years On

From Yahoo News:

"Israel marks five years since capture of soldier"

Parents of an Israeli soldier snatched by Palestinians five years ago chained themselves to railings near the home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Saturday to protest their son's continued captivity. Sergeant Gilad Shalit's parents Noam and Aviva, his brother Yoel and Yoel's girlfriend Yaara Winkler used a length of chain and a padlock to attach themselves to the railings of a building metres (yards) from Netanyahu's official residence. "We are a family already in captivity for five years; we'll stay here as long as necessary," Noam Shalit told journalists. The group was quickly ringed by members of Netanyahu's security detail, but there was no immediate attempt to move them. The action took place close to the pavement protest tent where Shalit's parents and supporters have spent the past year. Earlier Saturday, French Ambassador Christophe Bigot gave Aviva and Noam Shalit a letter from French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Gilad, who also holds French nationality, saying "France will never abandon you." Sarkozy's letter, addressed "Dear Gilad" and seen by AFP, said the French president does not accept "the isolation which your jailers have imposed upon you for five years, in violation of all the norms of international law and the most basic principles of humanity." "You are spending the years of your youth in the most extreme solitude," Sarkozy wrote. "This situation is outrageous. Nothing could justify it." "It is time for those responsible for your captivity to take the decision to cease this endless, unacceptable and revolting imprisonment." Bigot told reporters France was doing everything possible to win Shalit's freedom but that he could not give details.

In Gaza City, Hamas organised a ceremony of its own. Its supporters erected a fake jail cell and had someone dress up as Shalit in an Israeli army uniform. A cake with five flowers, to indicate the five years of his captivity, was placed in front of him. A loudspeaker played a recording of Shalit pleading with Netanyahu to free him. It was taken from a video -- the last proof he was alive -- that was released in October 2009. A banner said: "The Red Cross asked for the release of Shalit, but we are asking the Red Cross if it has heard of the 7,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails." On Friday, White House spokesman Jay Carney said "the United States condemns in the strongest possible terms his continued detention, and joins other governments and international organisations around the world in calling on Hamas to release him immediately." UN chief Ban Ki-moon called for Shalit's "immediate release," and asked Hamas "to protect his life, treat him humanely, prove that he is alive and allow the Shalit family to have contact with their son."

^ For anyone who thinks that the Palestinians deserve their own state when the government they elected into power (Hamas) is a terrorist group that kidnaps people they should go and talk to Shalit's family and hear what they have to say. I'm sure that after doing so they will quickly change their mind. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110625/wl_mideast_afp/israelpalestiniansprisonershalitanniversary

NY Allows Marriage

From the BBC:
"New York state approves gay marriage"

New York has become the sixth and most populous US state to allow same-sex marriage.

The Republican-controlled state senate voted 33-29 for a bill that had earlier been approved by the lower house, which has a Democratic majority. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo quickly signed the bill into law. Gay weddings are expected to start within 30 days. It has become a contentious social issue ahead of next year's presidential and congressional elections."New York has finally torn down the barrier that prevented same-sex couples from exercising the freedom to marry and from receiving the fundamental protections that so many couples and families take for granted," Mr Cuomo said in a statement. He kept his promise to sign the bill as soon as he received it after the Senate vote - rather than wait the usual 10 days. Gay rights activists said the approval of the bill was a key victory for them, in what is seen as the birthplace of the US gay rights movement. "It's about time. I want to get married. I want the same rights as anyone else," 36-year-old student Caroline Jaeger told Reuters news agency.

Places where gay marriage is legal in the US:

New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and Washington DC.

^ I think it is good that New York is now the 6th state to allow gay marriage. I only wish the state (along with the other 6 and DC) allowed the voters to decide in each place. I think then it would hold more meaning if the majority of a state's residents vote for gay marriage. It is odd that I have lived in 3 of the 6 states that allow gay marriage. I don't think there is any connection though. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13914013

Good People In An Evil Time

This book is written by Svelana Broz (the granddaughter of the former leader of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito.) It deals with her interviews during and after the Bosnian War. One aspect that I like about the book is that it has people from all sides (Croats, Serbs and Muslims) and is spread throughout the country of Bosnia. While Svetlana Broz was born in Belgrade (Serbia) and she moved to Sarajevo (Bosnia) you do not get the sense that she is pro-Serbian or pro-Bosnian.

It was a very interesting read and shows how people who did not want the war dealt with it when it came to them. Sometimes they were treated well and other times they were not. One item that I found mentioned throughout the book by the Croats, Serbs and Bosnians is that when a massacre or looting did happen it was mostly done by people from another region and not the locals.

Last December I went to Mostar for the day and was helped several times by the locals. I do not know if I was in the "Croatian" side or the "Bosnian" side. All I know is that we were near the Old Bridge. I also don't know if we were helped my Croats or Muslims or both. Unlike Serbians, Croatians and Bosnians who can tell by the way a person speaks or by their name I can't. Plus I don't really care who helped me. The fact that several different people helped me without me having to ask and without us being able to speak the same language is all I need to know.

People should read this book because it gives an insight on how ordinary people live during wartime. Of course no one really knows how they would act in such a situation it is still thought-provoking.

70 Years: Barbarossa

From Deutsche Welle:

"Germany's WWII offensive against Russia, 70 years later"

June 22 marks the 70th anniversary of the start of Germany's offensive against the Soviet Union in World War II. To examine the historical significance of this, Deutsche Welle spoke with Wolfram Wette, a professor of history at the University of Freiburg.

DW: What was the objective of the military offensive "Operation Barbarossa," which began on June 22, 1941?

Wolfram Wette: The objective was to conquer the Soviet Union, to decimate its population, to exploit the land - in order to colonize the country with Germans in the distant future. So it was a war for the capture of "Lebensraum," or "living space," in the East. They wanted to colonize the Soviet Union up to the Ural Mountains in order to create an self-sufficient, strongly protected Greater German Reich from the Atlantic to the Urals.

Was it then a racially motivated campaign of annihilation?

This aspect belongs directly to that aim, and is inseparably linked with the war in Russia. Hitler was convinced that Russia was dominated by "Jewish-Bolsheviks." And of course you could conquer this area and be able to use it for German purposes once you eliminate this establishment. The plans were made based on a speech by Hitler on March 30, 1941, given before 250 generals commanding the Eastern Army.There he said very clearly that it was a war of annihilation in which no prisoners would be taken. Hitler said the Red Army soldier should not be considered a comrade protected by the rules of war. In practice, this meant that of the 5.7 million captured Red Army soldiers, more than 3 million perished in German camps.

Even decades after the Second World War, Germany has tried very little to talk about these terrible deeds, to push them aside. Why has the invasion of the Soviet Union been such a non-issue for so long?

After 1945, the army elite very systematically spread the legend of the clean and professional Wehrmacht. And in doing that, they placed all of the responsibility for the crimes that took place in the East on the SS. They said they did the dirty work. And we conducted a war in accordance with human rights. This legend of the clean Wehrmacht was very gladly accepted by all who served. Even the small soldier said, "I fought for a clean military, not for a band of criminals." So there was a collective exoneration, a collective excuse that carried on for decades. And it took a long time until the historical research was able to create cracks in the body of the legend.

And how does that look on the Russian side?

Naturally very different. The Soviet Union was a victor in the Second World War. Stalin was exalted by the people at the time of capitulation as someone who mobilized the country, who held together the huge Red Army, who brought weapons production up to speed - which in the end resulted in victory. So everything concentrated positively on the personality of Stalin - with the consequence that all of the crimes of Stalin were repressed. The victory of the Soviet Union at that time was something that welded the country together, that stabilized it and that made it possible for it to become a world power for a half century. In this respect, the German aggression against the USSR turned out to be a stabilizing factor for communist domination - even though it was intended to end Bolshevik rule.

It's quite astounding to see that Russian people today hardly feel any hate toward Germans. No one looks at the other as an enemy. The Germans could not hope for a better situation. A large learning process has taken place in the last few decades in Russia as well.

^ I agree with most of these answers. The one thing I have an issue with is at the very end where he says the Russians and former Soviets do not harbor any ill will towards the Germans. I remember my language school director inviting an old German (a student from eastern Germany) to give a speech on Victory Day - May 9th - it was all a farce and everyone there booed him until he left the stage. He was giving a speech (in fluent Russian) about how far the Russians and Germans have come and how much they can continue to grow. He was too young to have fought in the war and grew up in Soviet occupied East Germany. I don't see why people place blame on those who were either too young or not even born yet when there are still thousands alive today that were 18 or older and are to blame. ^

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15154398,00.html

Russian City Discriminates

From Moscow Times:

"Disabled Face Escalator Ban in St. Petersburg Metro"

Yevgenia Gurova, a 21-year-old student, is seething after St. Petersburg authorities banned her from entering or exiting metro stations with escalators. That means she is only allowed access to the seven city metro stations with stairs. The other 57 stations are off-limits."If they think that the stairs are safer, they are wrong," Gurova said by telephone Tuesday. Gurova, who was banned from entering the metro in her wheelchair twice late last week, brought the ban into the spotlight over the weekend by complaining to St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko. "They should find other, more appropriate ways to deal with the problem," Gurova said. The problem she is referring to is a recent series of accidents in which people in wheelchairs tumbled down the escalators, a metro spokeswoman said by telephone, without elaborating on the accidents. The ban is not new, but metro staff began enforcing it after the accidents for the safety of people in wheelchairs, she said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity. The ban draws new attention to the difficulties encountered by disabled people in Russia, where access to public facilities is limited or nonexistent. Gurova asked Matviyenko to take action on the issue without delay and "cancel the illegal order." Matviyenko has not replied to Gurova's appeal, but her deputy, Yury Molchanov, has ordered St. Petersburg metro head Vladimir Garyugin to initiate a tender for equipment that would allow wheelchair users to safely enter and leave the stations, the city government said in an e-mailed statement. The statement said new stations would be equipped with ramps for wheelchairs, but no mention was made about lifting the ban. City ombudsman Alexei Kozyrev lamented the ban, and Public Chamber member Yelena Nikolayeva called it a "worldwide shame" and "direct violation of federal laws," RIA-Novosti reported.

Federal legislation obliges local authorities to provide the disabled unimpeded access to public facilities. However, failure to do so carries small fines of up to 3,000 rubles ($110) for individual officials and 30,000 rubles for state bodies.

There are 235 escalators in the St. Petersburg metro's 64 stations, but none have elevators for the disabled, according to the metro's web site. Russia's infrastructure for wheelchair users is virtually nonexistent, even in big cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, which effectively confines many to their homes. But the Moscow metro does not ban people in wheelchairs from using escalators at their own risk, metro spokeswoman Svetlana Tsaryova told The Moscow Times. She refused to comment on how safe it is. Moreover, Moscow metro rules explicitly oblige workers to cater to passengers in wheelchairs — unlike the metro rules in St. Petersburg. That does not mean, however, that traversing the Moscow metro in a wheelchair is easy. Of the 182 stations, only a handful of recently built ones are equipped with elevators and ramps for wheelchairs. The majority of stations, built in Soviet times, do not have such facilities, and their construction does not allow them to be adapted for wheelchair use, Tsaryova said.

^ Saint Petersburg is openly discriminating against the disabled despite Russian laws forbidding it. It is the 2nd largest city in the country and one of the main showcases for foreigners to see Russia. The Federal Russian Government should step in and not only make laws making it illegal to discriminate against the disabled, but also enforce the laws and penalties. They should do what the mayor of Sochi did - he made every public official go around the city in wheelchairs so they can see firsthand how hard it is for the disabled on a daily basis. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/st-pete-metro-turns-away-wheelchairs/439287.html

Airline Dissatisfication

From Yahoo News:
"Airline passengers fed up with service except for Southwest"

Saddled with added fees and higher fares, travelers are fed up with paying more and getting less from major airlines, survey results released on Tuesday showed. With the exception of Southwest, the no-frills airline where bags fly free, major airlines fail to satisfy leisure travelers and disappoint business travelers even more, according to the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index. "There's been a bubbling discontent for airlines for some time, but the situation has worsened slightly from a year ago," said ACSI managing director David VanAmburg. Travelers cited poor service, higher prices and fees for baggage and other services as the main causes of their discontent, it said. Passenger satisfaction with airlines dropped by 1.5 percent to a score of 65 on ACSI's 100 point scale. Scores have generally hovered in the mid-to-low 60s for the last decade. Southwest continues to reap top customer service ratings -- and a score of 81 -- in part because it has not taken anything away from customers and then offered it back for a fee, said VanAmbur "Now it's the Deltas and Uniteds and Americans that have to act like Southwest has for years," said VanAmburg of Southwest's minimalist service model. Behind Southwest, Continental scored 64, American 63, United and US Airways tied at 61 and Delta dropped to 56 on the ACSI scale. Surveys from 2,000 customers put airlines at the bottom of the heap of some four dozen industries tracked by ACSI, alongside newspapers. Business passengers reported being the least satisfied. "We're seeing a greater discontent among business travelers simply because they are putting themselves out there more to be let down by the airlines or an experience," said VanAmburg. Recent mergers, known to have a detrimental affect on satisfaction, pose added pressure, he said. Delta Air Lines plunged to the bottom of all the airlines for customer satisfaction one year after completing its Northwest acquisition, ACSI reported. The fate of United, which absorbed Continental, and Southwest, which acquired AirTran, remained uncertain, it said.

^ This is no surprise to me. I am flying (not on any of these airlines) next week and hope that I can say that the airline I am using for the first time - Alaska Airlines - did a great job. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110621/us_nm/us_airlines_dissatisfaction

NFNS

This week they had to use some kind of chocolate candy in their dish. Jyll won that challenge and got to pick her team for the next one. She choose an all girl team (leaving Penny out.) Then Robert Irvine and Duff came to say they had to make desserts for 150 + people.

The all-girl team were very annoying. Not one of them took charge and their food was nasty. The guy/Penny team was a mess in the kitchen, but their food was the best and they won the challenge.

Alicia was sent home. I am so glad because she was very annoying and always crying. The fact that she messed up on her cupcakes (when she did that for a living) was the icing on the cake.

Canada Post Strike

From The Canada Post Website:

"Lockout at Canada Post – What It Means To Customers"

Mail Deposit and Delivery:

■All mail processing plants and letter carrier depots are closed and all facilities have been secured. No new mail will be accepted. Large volume mailers cannot deposit or receive mail.

■Mail Delivery is suspended to all addresses served by letter carriers represented by the CUPW (Urban). Some mail delivery will continue over the first few days of the lockout to clear mail remaining in the system in suburban and rural areas where delivery employees are represented by a different bargaining unit.

■Street Letter Boxes, mail slots on Community Mail Boxes, and other Canada Post mail-receiving equipment have been cleared and sealed to prevent mail from being deposited.

■Through a previous agreement, Canada Post and CUPW will ensure that a number of socio-economic cheques will be delivered on June 20. Please visit canadapost.ca/cheques for more information.

Post Offices:

■All post offices staffed by CUPW members are closed.

■Post Offices located in suburban and rural areas staffed by members of the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants (CPAA) continue to be open but cannot accept new mail.

■Authorized Dealer Post Offices are also open but cannot accept new mail. Some Dealer Post Offices may be operating at reduced hours.

■Post Offices that remain open offer limited products such as MoneyGram and Money Orders but no new mail will be accepted. Many open Post Offices will also have parcels and other mail items delivered prior to the lockout available for customers to pick up.

Electronic Services:

■Canada Post’s website, canadapost.ca, is fully operational and offers up-to-date information on the labour situation.

■The Electronic Shipping Tools and Online Business Centre are operational, but some functions may be limited.

■epost is fully operational and remains a recommended tool for consumers to use for important communications and to receive statements and effect payments to many financial institutions, utilities, and retailers.

Service Guarantees:

■Effective immediately, all service guarantees are suspended, pending resolution of the labour situation. Check product terms and conditions on canadapost.ca for more information.

Duration:

■Canada Post cannot predict how long the current labour situation will last.

■We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this situation is causing. We are making every attempt to reach a settlement and resume normal operations as soon as possible.

^ This is completely unprofessional for a government agency (regardless of which country it is in) to do. I really hope the ordinary Canadians show there disgust with Canada Post and the union and send their mail by FedEx, UPS or another company. Then the only thing those strikers would receive is a pink slip. ^

http://clients.infopost.ca/en/

Karol: The Pope, The Man (2006)

This is the sequel to "Karol: A Man Who Became Pope" and tells the story of Pope John Paul 2's reign as the leader of the Catholic Church. This movie is just as good as the first. Piotr Adamczyk did another good job playing the Pope in this film. Everyone should see the first movie and the second so that they can understand what a truly great man Pope John Paul 2 was.

Karol: A Man Who Became Pope (2005)

I watched this movie the other day and really liked it. It tells the story of Karol Wojtyla (who later became Pope John Paul 2) through his experiences during World War 2, becoming a priest and then life in post-war Communist Poland. Piotr Adamczyk plays Karol and did a really good job. It is a good movie that shows people that even before he became Pope Karol Wojtyla was a great man who suffered like everyone else and yet came out even better for it.

The movie came out just after Pope John Paul 2 died (in fact it's release date was moved because of his death.)It is too bad that the Pope couldn't have lived to see the movie and his portrayal. I think he would have liked it.

TNFNS

Last night I watched the show. This week two people were sent home. For the first challenge they had to make a pizza (it was a little annoying how Giada says pizza - she always talks like she is trying way to hard.) Unfortunately, Penny won the challenge. Juba was sent home.

The second challenge they had to make a difficult dish easier for home-cooks. Since Penny won the first challenge she chose the groups for the second one. Not only did they have to cook, but they had to do it in front of Anne Burrell, Scott Conant and Pat and Gina Neely. There were three teams and so three winners: Whitney, Mary Beth and Justin B. Katy was sent home.

Last week the judges said that Penny was trashy rather than sexy (as she claimed) and this week she continued her nastiness. The judges liked her "Middle Eastern Mother" concept. I didn't see that. All I saw was that she continues to be a trashy witch. While I don't have any favorite to win right now I know that I want Penny sent home.

Stupid People

Two weeks ago I got the idea to try and overlook the countless idiots and stupid people I seem to meet on a daily basis. Well, I tried and that failed. While I do not start out being mean or nasty to people (at least before I meet them) I will no longer back-down if they start it. Of course like anything you need to "pick your battles" and while I won't back-down in a challenge I will continue to gauge the intensity of how I deal with idiots and adjust it accordingly.

I should say that I spent 4 summers working at an overnight camp for the mentally and physically disabled and have found them to be some of the smartest and nicest people I have ever met. The stupid people I am referring to here have no medical issue as to why they are idiots - they just are.

Not all situations are life-threatening and here's where the "picking your battles" comes into play. There are those people I have personally dealt with in the medical field and at public institutions that believe they have complete authority and final say over you. Those are the people I will continuously be on guard for and stand up to. In the case of the medical field it can be (and has been in the past) a case of either life or death or quality of life issue. In the case of public institutions it can be (and again has been in the past) a case of discrimination. Both of these are very important and should never be allowed.

There are those people who believe you should have a "positive attitude" and treat everyone nicely and good things will come out of that. While I respect their beliefs and hope it works for them I have found the opposite to be true for me. I have found that when I am ready for a fight (not physically, but mentally) then things usually turn out ok. It is when I go in to a place (especially one I have dealt with before) thinking that nothing bad will happen and it does. That may seem strange for some people, but I have found it to be true - in my case - and have tried it throughout the world.

I am not saying that I don't sometimes over-react to things because I know I do and have. Sometimes a situation or person just gets on my last nerve and I lash verbally out. In those cases I usually think about what happened afterwards and see my mistakes and what I should have done. Sometimes I even ask others how they thought I handled the situation and hear what they say - whether I agree with their assessment or not.

One thing that really gets me is dealing with a hypocrite. Those people tend to be the "holier than thous" that say one thing and do something else - hence the term hypocrite. I know who I am and do not sugar-coat it. People may like me or not, but in the end I usually do as I say and I say as I do. With me you get what you see unlike the many others that bounce all over the place.

In the end there will always be stupid people in the world. By acknowledging that fact people can decide how they want to deal with them. I have acknowledged that fact and, as you can see from above, am working to horn my skills when dealing with them.

Jeep (Update)

Here is an update on the accident that happened over the Easter weekend. The garage in Troy, NY (H and V Collision Center) was the first place that we took the Jeep to. We had to get a rental car and go back to NH. 10 days later the garage said the car was ready and so we drove back to NY. When we looked at the Jeep I noticed the front license plate holder was still missing and told the guy that. At first he said that he didn't know if we lived in a state where you had to have a license plate in both the front and the back. I told him it didn't matter which state I lived in since when we bought the Jeep from a Jeep dealer it had a license plate holder. He then showed me a picture of the holder on his computer and I said that was what we wanted. Since we were going back to NH I asked him to mail the holder to us there.

When we got back home I tried the 4WD and it didn't work. I called my insurance company and told them about it. They gave me the name and address of a garage in Concord, NH that they work with and I brought the Jeep there. We had to get another rental car. The repairs took a week and we picked up the car last Friday. On a side note: the NY garage forgot to mail the license plate holder and I called them. First the guy said that Jeep didn't make them and when I wouldn't accept his excuses he finally found one. The thing they sent to me was just a bar and not the rectangular holder. I called my insurance company again (which was always a hassle since the guy never picked up the phone or get back to me for several days)and he had th 2nd garage put one on.

We took the Jeep home and noticed that the 4WD still didn't work. This time the lever wouldn't go down and was making all sorts of noises. I called the 2nd garage and they said they had a 3rd garage in Concord do the work. We took the car in today and waited about 1 1/2 hours. They gave us the keys back and said they changed a switch (although they didn't say anything about the lever.) We drove home and I tried the 4WD several times and each time everything worked. It has passed the first test and I will continue to check the 4WD off and on over the next few days just to make sure. We live on a mountain road that requires 4WD for 6 months out of the year.

So, after 3 garages over 1 month the Jeep seems to be finally done. Hopefully I can put all this behind me and have nothing new happen.

The Next Food Network Star

Last night the new season started. As of right now I do not have particular favorites. It seems that all the guys look exactly the same. There are a few people who stand out (whether for good or bad.) First there is Howie. He is on the radio and it's clear that he is only on the show to get noticed and move to TV (since he admitted and the judges agreed that he wasn't a good cook.)He also let another person do all his cooking for him - which she was stupid to do since she didn't get her dish done - and then he denied getting any help. Then there is Penny whose concept is bringing sexy back. The judges said that her concept made her trashy. She seems to be the nasty one in the whole group. There's Alicia who is from Missouri and talks with a funny accent. It would be one thing is she just had a bad, thick Southern accent, but she is trying to hide her Southern accent and so it comes out like she is a man acting like a woman (with a really deep voice.)Justin B may be a good cook, but he looks like a gelfling. Then there's Vic who I have seen on the show "Challenge" many times. He wasn't able to plate any of his dishes. Lastly, there is Orchid who won both challenges and is the judges favorite, so far.

Howie is the first person to be sent home. I am really glad that one of the people I do not like is no longer there.

Ambush (1999)

This is a Finnish movie (called "Rukajärven tie" in Finnish) about the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union from 1941-1944. It is about a Finnish soldier (played by Peter Franzén) and his financee (played by his real wife, Irina Björklund.) The soldier believes his fiancee is killed by the Soviets in an ambush and he goes on a special mission with his troops. In the end, his fiancee survives (she was captured by the Soviets and it is alluded to that she was raped) and the two see each other again.

The movie is pretty good. I had learned a little about the Winter War and the Continuation War fought between the Finns and the Soviets, but had never seen a movie about it.

There were a few comical scenes in the film. The main one that the troops ride around the war on their bikes. That is so hysterical to me. I had always heard people make fun of the Poles fighting German tanks on horseback and now I learn the Finns were fighting the Soviets on bikes (I wonder if they were Schwinns.)

US Finally Looking For Dead

From Yahoo News:
US to search for war dead in Philippines

MANILA (AFP) – The United States won permission Friday to search for the remains of American troops who were killed or went missing while fighting Japanese World War II occupation forces in the Philippines. Under the agreement, Joint Prisoner-of-War and Missing-in-Action Accounting Command teams from Hawaii would make short, periodic trips to try, with local help, to find the remains of the fallen, ambassador Harry Thomas said. "Sadly, for over 65 years, many of those Americans who fought alongside Filipinos and gave their lives to liberate the Philippines in World War II have never been accounted for, as their remains have never been found," Thomas said. "Thanks to this new undertaking... we now have an opportunity to address this. We are grateful for this cooperation which will eventually bring closure to so many families," Thomas said in a statement. Neither side explained why it had taken so long to reach an agreement. "The (agreement) honours the shared sacrifices made by the armed forces of both countries that stood together side by side to defend freedom during World War II," the Philippine foreign department said in a statement. The two governments did not say how many US soldiers went missing in the Philippines during the war. The remains of 17,202 other American servicemen, most of whom lost their lives in operations in New Guinea and the Philippines, are interred at a 152-acre (62-hectare) gated cemetery in Manila.

^ There is absolutely no excuse why it has taken 60 + years for this to happen (except for the lack of concern on the part of the two governments.)The US should have done more to find and identify their dead so they could honor them correctly since they died serving their country. The Filipino's should have done more to help since the soldiers died defending them from the Japanese. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110603/pl_afp/philippinesuswwiimia

Sobibor Closed

From Yahoo News:
"Sobibor exhibition hall closed for lack of funds"

WARSAW, Poland – An exhibition hall at the former Nazi death camp of Sobibor has been closed because of a lack of funds, a Polish official said Friday. The memorial site's spokesman, Marek Bem, also said guided tours at the site have been discontinued. Bem said talks are now under way with the Culture Ministry to secure financing that would allow the exhibition hall to reopen next year. He said the problems arise from the fact that Sobibor is funded by the local government rather than the central government, like other Holocaust sites. Experts believe at least 167,000 people were killed at the camp. Sobibor is in a remote part of the country and receives relatively few visitors. Very little remains at Sobibor, which was destroyed by the Nazis. An outdoor memorial mound of ashes, plaques and stone monuments to the victims remain accessible to visitors. John Demjanjuk, a former Ohio autoworker, was convicted May 12 of 28,060 counts of accessory to murder after a Munich court found he served as a guard at Sobibor. He was sentenced to five years in prison, but was immediately released pending his appeal, which could take as much as two years, after the court ruled he was not a flight risk.

^ This is a complete disgrace! Even if there is nothing left of the death camp it is still the site where thousands upon thousands of innocent men, women and children were murdered. It is a historical site that needs to be preserved. I think that Germany should pay to preserve and run all the death and concentration camps as they are the ones who started the war, created the camps and killed millions upon millions of people. It is not enough that they pay the survivors, but if they are truely sorry for what they did (or what their parents or grandparents did) then the least they can do is pay for the preservation of the camps so future generations will know what happened during the war. If I was Poland I would hand Germany the bill. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110603/ap_on_re_eu/eu_poland_holocaust_museum

Red Baron (2008)

I saw this movie yesterday and wasn't really impressed with it. It is a German movie (about the famous World War 1 flying ace, Manfred von Richthofen known as the Red Baron) and yet the whole thing was in English. There is just something off-putting when you hear a group of real German actors talking to each other in what is supposed to be German and yet they all have British accents and say things like "Bloody good." I know that not the whole cast was German, but still it didn't have a good flow to it.

I don't know much about the Red Baron so can't really compare the actor who played him here to the real life one, but in the movie he seems very arrogant.

One aspect of the movie that I found was thrown in the viewer's face several times was the fact that there was a Jewish pilot. His plane had the Star of David on it and at the end the director said that there were many Jewish pilots in the German Air Force in World War 1.

During World War 1 there was no open, official discrimination of Jews in Germany so the fact that the pilot was Jewish would not have mattered. It only came up once the Nazis took control in 1933 and officially discriminated against the Jews (although those Jewish veterans of World War 1 who fought for Germany or the Austro-Hungarian Empire were given special exemptions at the beginning.) It seems the German director was trying too hard to show that the Germans did not always hate the Jews and his attempt was just too much.

I think that had the film been either completely in German or as in the case of several of more current movies (like "Dresden") where those portraying Germans speak German and those portraying the British speak English, etc it would have been more realistic and much, much better.

Sarajevo Siege Museum

From Yahoo News:
"Sarajevo to store memories of Mladic siege in museum"

Twenty years on from the siege of Sarajevo, artists in the Bosnian capital are planning a museum to commemorate the 44-month atrocity for which Ratko Mladic faces a war crimes court this week. Artists groups are putting together an ambitious project to build and open a museum to mark the 20th anniversary of the start of the siege in May next year, and city authorities have donated a vacant lot for that purpose. Since the end of Bosnia's 1992-1995 war the priority has been given over to rebuilding a ruined city, where 10,000 people were killed. Now Bosnian artists say it is time to remember the horrors, but also celebrate Sarajevo's unique spirit. "It will not show the city as a victim, but rather as a place where a spirit defeated terror," said Suada Kapic, one of the artists who launched the project. Dino Mustafic, a theatre director and head of the museum project, said "the Sarajevo siege museum will be a house of survival. "It will be a testimony on the spirit of a town that experienced difficult moments in history, but that managed to miraculously renew itself," he told AFP. Audiovisual exhibits and objects from the dark days of the siege will serve as a reminder. The collection will also include some 1,400 wartime interviews with Sarajevans. Sarajevo's 350,000 inhabitants lived for 44 months under constant shelling and sniper fire from Bosnian Serb forces under Mladic, without water, electricity or heating. An underground tunnel, dug in 1933, enabled some food and arms to be brought into the capital. Some 10,000 civilians, including 1,500 children, died during the siege. When space in the city cemetery ran out people were buried in a neighbouring football field. "For everything I do, I'm inspired by the siege experience since it marked me completely," said artist Sejla Kameric, just 14-year-old when the siege began in April 1992. Now, she is one of the artists involved with setting up the siege museum she refers to as a testament to human resilience. "The siege marked me since I was there for that four years, it is a part of me and most of my works are linked with the war, the wartime experience and experience of a life in a besieged town," Sejla Kameric told AFP. Her latest work in a feature length film about her experiences during the siege called "1395 Days without Red". The arrest and Mladic future trial make the establishment of a siege museum all the more pressing, said Mustafic. "Mladic's arrest is extremely important for the future of this region since it is important that everyone faces the facts from the 1990s," he said. "We live in a difficult time where people try to relativise historical facts." Among the exhibits will be the 1993 Sarajevo Survival Guide, a tongue-in-cheek manual with tips for surviving the dark days of the siege.

"Sleeping is entirely conditioned by the arrival of water and electricity. If they appear at the same time, the shock is complete. The race against time starts -- in order to use both in the best possible way," the guide reads. "We were following the break up of a civilisation and the establishment of a new one," said Kapic, who edited the guide. The siege -- the longest such blockade in post-World War II Europe -- lasted until November 1995. Mladic, now 69, was arrested in Serbia last week and extradited into the custody of the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague to await trial on charges of genocide and war crimes after almost 16 years on the run. As well as the siege of Sarajevo, he is chiefly accused of masterminding the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of about 8,000 Muslim men and boys, Europe's worst atrocity since World War II.

^ It is a great idea to open a museum on one of the longest sieges in modern history so that people do not forget what happened and to teach those that don't know much about the Bosnian War. I hope that the museum will have things from all sides (the Bosniaks and the Serbs) to give the whole picture. Ever since I went to Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia (Mostar) last December I have been reading as much as I can about the wars in the former Yugoslavia. I had a basic understanding of what happened, but now have an even better picture from all sides involved. If I ever go to Sarajevo I would like to visit this museum. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110601/lf_afp/bosniawarcrimesmladicsiege

Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day. Today we remember the men and women who fought and died protecting our country. You would think that because we are currently in two wars and have soldiers dying more people would stop for a minute and pay homage for those that are giving up their lives so we can have carefree moments. Unfortunately, most people only think about going swimming, having BBQs, etc and not those that had to die so we can be free.

Not much was mentioned on the news today (and most days) about the wars and those that are dying. The media tends to only focus on one story until it becomes so annoying that you don't want to hear anything more about it (currently it is all the tornadoes.)

I realize the sacrifice that our soldiers (and their families) make so that I can sit here and write about it without any worries. I only wish others would do the same.

My Canadian Passport

Last Friday I finally got my Canadian Passport in the mail. Passport Canada did the same thing to me that they did my mom when she applied last year. They rejected mine/her application the first time because of the photos. We both got them done at the one and only place here in NH the Canadian Consulate in Boston told us about. Canadian Passport pictures are completely different from American ones and so we wanted the correct ones.

My mom got her passport the second time and so did I. Luckily Passport Canada doesn't charge the fee unless they grant you a passport. I get the feeling the Canadians (or maybe it is just the Quebecois in Gatineau) do this to Canadians living in the US to mess with us. Either that or they reject them simply so they can meet their 20 day turnaround.

At least I now have it and I can use the Canadian Passport when entering Canada and my American Passport when I enter the US. I have to say the picture in my Canadian one looks better than in my American one, but the Canadian one is only valid for 5 years whereas my American one is good for 10 (and they were about the same price.)

I Am Number 4 (2011)

I really liked this movie. It seemed like it was like the movie "Jumper" which I also like. Alex Pettyfer did a good job as did Diane Agron. The film moved pretty quickly, but wasn't too complicated. If the movie had gone slower I probably wouldn't have liked it, but since it was fast-paced and had a lot of cool special effects it was a good movie. I assume they are going to make a sequel - which I would watch.

No Rapture!

From USA Today:
"May 21st is 'Apocalypse No,' a day of jokes not Judgment"

No Judgment! But a whole lot of joking as Judgment Day, aka the Rapture, aka the Apocalypse, has gone off without a world-ending disaster (little quakes in Iceland don't seem to count). The joke appears to be on Harold Camping and his earnest followers. After all, if you're reading this, you're still standing squarely on earth, not off with the angels where the true believers were supposed to be flown in a flash at 6 p.m.

^ Well it is after 6 pm and there was no Rapture. It seems all the media hype over this idiot's predictions were all for nothing. I guess the fact that he predicted the world's end in 1994 and was wrong and has done the same exact thing today means nothing to the "intelligent media." As the article states there are many jokes coming out of all this. I posted on my Facebook status that "It's after 6 pm. We can now go on with our regularly-scheduled lives." I'm sure this idiot will pick another date and people will continue to believe him. I even bet they would drink Kool-Aid if he gave them some. ^

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2011/05/may-21-end-of-the-world-doomsday-harold-camping/1

Israel Tells Obama Off!

The other day Obama decided to speak without thinking and told Israel that a Middle East peace deal would be based on the 1967 borders. Not only did Obama not think about this (and if he did than he is even dumber than I thought) but is also going against US policy towards Israel that has lasted since Israel was founded in 1948.

I do not like he says things in the name of the American people - especially when what he is saying goes against every key American trait.

Luckily, Israel is standing up for itself and told Obama that it would not accept a two-party state with the 1967 borders. If they did it would mean hundreds of thousands of Israelis would find themselves living outside of Israeli territory.

Obama should focus on making the Palestinians stop their suicide attacks and missile attacks in Israel before he tells the Israelis what they should do. Then they (the Palestinians) need to officially recognize Israel's right to exist. Israel has every right to defend itself against the Arabs and Palestinians that officially call for it's destruction and have started dozens of wars and other terrorist acts to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth. Despite all odds, Israel not only survives after over 60 years of being invaded, attacked and bombed by all its neighboring countries, but it thrives.

It is clear that Obama is way over is head in all this and should get a tutor to teach him about what has been going on in the Middle East in the last 60 years.

Survivor: RI

Tonight was the season finale (2 hours long with an extra hour of the reunion show.)The final three were: Boston Rob, Phil and Natalie (after they blindsided Andrea and then Ashley at Tribal.) When the 3 were talking to the jury each gave a different stance. Natalie kept saying she was only 19 and followed Rob from the beginning. Phil went about with an "I'm going to put salt in their wounds" attitude - which isn't the best way to get people to vote for you. Rob went about as he had been on the show for 4 seasons and did everything for his wife and kids. I really did not want any of the final three to win. It was more of a who is the lesser of the 3 evils. In the end Rob won.He also won the $100,000 fan favorite award (between him and Matt.) The only good thing about that is that now we probably won't see him on another season. I think he is way too arrogant.

On the reunion show Dave proposed to someone who was on an earlier season of the show (which I didn't watch.) Of course she said "yes." They also made a big deal about Phil and whether or not he was a former federal agent. There are thousands upon thousands of federal agents so that is nothing exciting. The key word in his title is "former." At least Phil said he was wrong and sorry that he called Steve a racist during the show. Mike was my choice to win both the show and then when that wasn't going to happen to win the fan favorite. He didn't win either, but he still did a good job. Ashley and Natalie still don't seem to think they did anything wrong by blindly following Rob. Some girls are just plain dumb and want others to tell them what to do.

At the end of the show they announced the 23rd season will be in the South Pacific (probably on Palau or Samoa like they have done many times in the past.)They will keep Redemption Island (hopefully this time they will make the winner of RI one of the final three as putting them back in the game will only get them voted out for a second time.) They will also have two former contestants return (I think it will be Russel, Matt, Phil or Mike.)

DE Medical Marijuana

From Yahoo News:
"Delaware legalizes medical marijuana"

WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) – Delaware became the 16th state on Friday to legalize marijuana for medical use after the governor signed the bill into law. The law allows patients who certify they have a serious medical condition such as cancer to possess up to six ounces, or 170 grams, of marijuana. State-licensed centers will be allowed to grow the marijuana and dispense it to patients 18 and older. Democratic Governor Jack Markell signed the bill in private without a ceremony, according to his office. The state Senate passed the measure on Wednesday by a 17-4 vote.

^ This is one more step in the right direction. I firmly believe that medical marijuana should be legal in every state and that the Federal Government should stop going after states that have state-licensed centers and are helping their residents. Medical marijuana is legal in: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Washington DC. There are some states (like CA) where it seems all you have to do is cough and they give you a medical marijuana prescription. I think that is an abuse. It should be tightly state-controlled and accessible to those that need it to help stop their pain. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110513/pl_nm/us_marijuana_delaware

Demjanjuk Guilty!

From BBC News:
"John Demjanjuk guilty of Nazi death camp murders"

A German court has found John Demjanjuk guilty of helping to murder more than 28,000 Jews at a Nazi death camp in World War II. He was sentenced to five years in prison, one year less than prosecutors had asked for, but will be released pending a possible appeal. Prosecutors said the Ukraine-born Demjanjuk, 91, was a guard at Sobibor camp in Nazi-occupied Poland in 1943. He denied serving as a guard, saying he was a prisoner of war and a victim too. Lawyers for Demjanjuk have said they will appeal against the conviction. "The court is convinced that the defendant... served as a guard at Sobibor from 27 March 1943 to mid-September 1943," presiding Judge Ralph Alt said. "As guard he took part in the murder of at least 28,000 people," he said. An estimated 250,000 people died in the gas chambers at Sobibor. Demjanjuk was convicted of being an accessory to the murder of the 28,060 people who were killed there while he was a guard.

The presiding judge stood up and leaned over him and said: "You have the last word." Demjanjuk simply shook his head no. He was wheeled forward and the judge delivered his guilty verdict to his face. The relatives of the dead were clearly satisfied with the verdict although for some of them it wasn't the main aim. They wanted a court in Germany to hear the details of the machinery of industrial killing and to hear that history related in the city where the Nazi party was founded. Judge Alt said he had ordered Demjanjuk freed during his appeal as he did not pose a flight risk because of his advanced age, poor health and the fact that he was stateless following his expulsion from the US, where after the war he worked in an Ohio car factory and became an American citizen.

Born in Ukraine in 1920, Demjanjuk grew up under Soviet rule. He was a soldier in the Red Army in 1942 when he was captured by the Germans. Prosecutors had argued he was recruited by the Germans to be an SS camp guard and that by working at a death camp he was a participant in the killings. No evidence was produced that he committed a specific crime.It was the first time such a legal argument was made in a German court.

Vera Dejong, relative of Sobibor victim: "He can't look us in the eye"

Central to the prosecution's case was an SS identity card indicating Demjanjuk was posted to Sobibor. The defence cast doubts on the authenticity of the card but court experts said it appeared genuine. Demjanjuk listened to the verdict sitting in a wheelchair without responding, his eyes covered by dark glasses.

^ It is about time this criminal was convicted. The fact that it was done in Germany by a German court gives it even more meaning. I only wish German courts would have done these kinds of trials and given harder sentences. It should not matter if the person is old or sick to stand trial. Think of all the elderly, disabled and very young that were murdered by shootings, starvation and in gas chambers. None of these Nazi criminals cared about the age or health status of any of their victims. The real punishment should be the death penalty, but the EU doesn't allow it and that's just plain sad. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12321549

Survivor: RI

This week Andrea was the newest member to Redemption Island. Mike, Matt, Ralph and her had their challenge and Ralph was sent to the jury.
During the Immunity and Reward Challenge Ashley won (which was good because she was going to be voted out.)Her and Natalie had their reward (food) and got sick.
Since Ashley couldn't be voted out Rob decided to vote out Grant. Grant (like all those that are left) blindly follow Rob and believe he is going to take them to the finale. It was funny to watch Grant's face as he was blindsided and sent to Redemption Island.
Next week is the season finale. There are still 4 people left plus the people on Redemption Island - where one more person will be put back in the game. Hopefully, the winner of Redemption Island will automatically be one of the final 3.

TAR

Tonight was the season finale. The teams went from Switzerland to Brazil. They had to get a Brazilian wax and my favorite part was when Zev said "Oh No! Not the nipple." Then the teams either had to make 100 drinks or sell swimsuits on the beach. Zev and Justin were the only team to try the swimsuit selling and so they came in last and were eliminated.

The final three teams (Kisha and Jen, Gary and Mallory and the Globetrotters) flew to Miami. Gary and Mallory had a really bad taxi driver who was pretty stupid and so they got lost.

The teams had to move a boat on a marina and then they went to the Florida Keys and had to use a personal submarine to find their next clue. After that they went to a trailer park and had to put one together. Gary and Mallory had finally caught up, but in the end it was down to Kisha and Jen and the Globetrotters.

I really wanted Justin and Zev to win and then when they got sent home I wanted Gary and Mallory. When that wasn't going to happen I wanted Kisha and Jen because I did not want the Globetrotters to win. In the end it was Kisha and Jen who won.

This season was pretty good. I just wish they would not always go to China and India every season since it is so dirty and boring to watch all the time. I hope that next season (which they already filmed) is re-vamped with new and interesting places and challenges.

Austerity In Britain

This book deals with rationing (both food and clothing) that took place in the UK from 1939-1955. It makes sense that the British had rationing from 1939-1945 because of World War 2 (like the majority of countries), but what doesn't make any sense - even after reading the book - is why it continued until 1955 (10 years after the war.) I am sure that the British living during those times did not know all the facts, but nowadays we know that while rationing lasted in the UK til 1955 it ended in the British Zone of Occupation in Germany (which later merged with the US Zone and then the French Zone) in 1949.

I would have been very mad if I lived in the UK at that time and knew that the conquered Germans were living and eating better than I was (especially since we won the war.) It seems the British Government at the time did not think things clearly enough and in the end the British public finally woke up and complained by voting them out of office (which they deserved.)

Mother's Day

Today for Mother's Day I took my mom out to breakfast. Then for dinner we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Carabba's. There was some heavy rain along the way and when we got to the restaurant it was packed. Despite all the people we were seated a good booth within 5 minutes. The service was good and our waitress was friendly. The food was also very good. Of course having great company made things even better. All-in-all it was a really nice Mother's Day.

Survivor: RI

This week the 4 on Redemption Island (Matt, Mike, Ralph and Steve) had a challenge in which Steve was sent to the jury and where Mike was given the choice of spending time with his mom, letting Matt and Ralph see their family and friends or letting the rest of the tribe see their loved ones. Mike chose to let the rest of the tribe see their friends and family.

The immunity challenge was pretty tough and it came down to Grant, Rob and Andrea. In the end Rob won and was completely worn-out. At Tribal they blind-sided Andrea and sent her to Redemption Island.

Canadian Elections

From the Globe and Mail:
"Harper to move fast to use his new authority"

It’s been seven years since a party had a majority of seats in the Commons, and Stephen Harper will put this new-found authority to immediate use. A majority government not only cements Mr. Harper’s leadership within the Conservative Party but it gives him four years to pursue his policies as he sees fit without having to shelve long-term plans every few months in case his rivals might defeat him. "Our job starts tomorrow," Mr. Harper said in his victory speech from Calgary late Monday night. "We will implement what we laid out in the budget, our plan for jobs and growth without raising taxes." A majority will make it easier for Mr. Harper to balance the budget. He will be able to schedule government spending cuts over four years instead of worrying this would alarm voters. It may also give him leeway to cut payments to provinces if his promise to keep health transfers rising at 6 per cent annually puts too much pressure on Ottawa’s coffers. As pledged, the Tories will move rapidly on a far-reaching rewrite of Canada’s crime laws. They’re planning to bundle 11 pieces of law-and-order legislation they’d failed to enact as a minority government into one omnibus bill that will be passed within 100 days of taking power. Measures would include an end to house arrest for serious and violent criminals, tougher sentences and mandatory jail time for sexual offences against children and a crackdown on the handling of violent and repeat young offenders. Say goodbye to the long-gun registry and $2-per-vote subsidies for political parties now that Stephen Harper has full control over the levers of power in Ottawa. And get ready for term limits on senators and greater foreign ownership of companies that offer telecom services such as cellphones. Also on the front-burner will be legislation long sought by the United States to toughen up copyright protections for those who make movies, software and other creative works.

Tories won 167 seats out of the 308 in the House of Commons, the NDP took 102, the Liberals 34, the Bloc Québécois four, and the Green Party one. Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe saw his party reduced to a small regional rump — the first time since 1993 that the separatist party hasn't claimed at least half Quebec's 75 seats.

^ It looks like Canada will have more time with the Conservatives - who are the Republicans of the country. Some of their platforms seem interesting and I am curious to see if they are achieved. ^

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-to-move-fast-to-use-his-new-authority/article2007581/

Reactions To Osama's Death

From Wikipedia:
"Reactions to bin Laden's death"

President Obama's address:

“Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound, in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.”

Ordinary Americans:

Americans reacting to the death of Osama bin Laden in front of the White House

Within minutes of the official announcement, crowds gathered spontaneously outside the White House, Ground Zero, the Pentagon and in New York's Times Square to celebrate.In Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit with a large Muslim and Arab population, a small crowd gathered outside the City Hall in celebration, many of them being of Middle Eastern descent.From the beginning to the end of Obama's speech, 4,000 tweets per second were sent on Twitter.Fans attending a nationally televised Major League Baseball game between two National League East rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets, at Citizens Bank Park initiated U-S-A! cheers in response to the news.Likewise, at WWE Extreme Rules 2011; a pay-per-view broadcast emanating from the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida newly crowned WWE Champion John Cena announced the news to the audience following the event's conclusion, resulting in a massive "U-S-A!" chant from the crowd. Several observers expressed disgust at these acts of celebration, labelling them as inappropriate.

American Politicans:

Former President George W. Bush said that "This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001." The event was also applauded by other Republican leaders, including former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty and Senator John McCain. Former President Bill Clinton described it as "a profoundly important moment for people all over the world who want to build a common future of peace, freedom, and cooperation for our children." New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that he hoped the death of bin Laden "would comfort those who lost loved ones" in the September 11, 2001 attacks.Former National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice characterized the news as "Absolutely thrilling", adding that she was "overwhelmed with gratitude and continue[s] to be amazed at what our military has achieved."

Pakistan:

Following the death of bin Laden, President Asif Ali Zardari convened emergency talks with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and security chiefs in Islamabad. Pakistan's military officials declined to comment, referring questions to the foreign ministry.Yousaf Raza Gillani said "We will not allow our soil to be used against any other country for terrorism and therefore I think it's a great victory, it's a success and I congratulate the success of this operation."

International:

• Afghanistan – President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, speaking on the death of bin Laden has said, “It’s wonderful. It’s great news,” elaborating that bin Laden has "been one of the key enemies of humanity, civilization, and it’s really been a major problem for the human race." He emphasized that "Afghanistan was right" in saying that "the fighting against terrorism is not in the villages of Afghanistan, not among the poor people of Afghanistan", but in "safe havens",and called on the Taliban to lay down their arms.

• Australia – Prime Minister Julia Gillard welcomed news of bin Laden's death, saying "Osama bin Laden declared war on innocent people and today he has paid the price for that declaration."She also said it was "a small measure of justice",but stated that the "War on Terror is not over", and "must be continued".

• Austria – Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger welcomed the news, calling it "a relief for many people", but warned that it must not be interpreted as a "final victory over terrorism."

• Canada – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that the death of Osama bin Laden "secures a sense of justice for the families of the 24 Canadians murdered" (on September 11, 2001) and said that "Canada receives the news of the death of Osama bin Laden with sober satisfaction."

• Colombia – Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos congratulated President Obama, stating in a press release that the raid "proves once again that terrorists, sooner or later, always fall. In the global fight against terrorism there is only one way: to persevere, persevere and persevere."

• Czech Republic – Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas said that "the death of Osama bin Laden is a significant milestone in the fight against terrorism, in the effort to secure world, though it is not far from its end. It is an important symbolic message to the survivors of victims of terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda and a clear signal to all parties without respect for law and human lives anywhere in the world: destroyed human life can not be replaced, but its marred don't stay unpunished."

• Denmark – the Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen congratulated the U.S. on the death of bin Laden. "I congratulate President Obama and the American people, with the success in finishing the era of bin Laden's unscrupulous and inhumane violence and destruction" he said.

• European Union – the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek said, "We have woken up in a more secure world."

• France – French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé said on state radio that bin Laden's death is a "victory for all democracies fighting the abominable scourge of terrorism." He went on to say, "France, the United States and European states work closely together to fight terrorism, so I'm overjoyed at the news."

• Germany – German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said, "That a stop could be put to this terrorist's bloody trade is good news for all peace-loving and free-thinking people in the world."

• Hungary – Hungarian Foreign Minister János Martonyi said, "The death of Osama bin Laden is a major success in the war on international terrorism, but it doesn't mean the end of this war. A very important and determined enemy of our entire civilization has fallen."

• India – Minister for Home Affairs P. Chidambaram said that Osama bin Laden hiding "deep inside" Pakistan was a matter of grave concern for India and showed that "many of the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks, including the controllers and the handlers of the terrorists who actually carried out the attack, continue to be sheltered in Pakistan." He also called on Pakistan to arrest them.[38] Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh said "I welcome it as a significant step forward and hope that it will deal a decisive blow to Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. The international community and Pakistan in particular must work comprehensively to end the activities of all such groups who threaten civilized behaviour and kill innocent men, women and children."

• Iran – Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said bin Laden's death meant that the "US and their allies have no more excuse to deploy forces in the Middle East under (the) pretext of fighting terrorism". He hoped that the killing would "establish peace and security in the region," adding that it is Iran's policy to "strongly condemn terrorism all over the world." Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of the Iranian Parliament's foreign policy commission, stated, "If it is true, then the killing of bin Laden 10 years after the September 11 incident is no big deal."

• Ireland -- Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the removal of bin Laden's ability to plot heinous acts is a major achievement in the effort to rid the world of the threat of terrorism.

• Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that bin Laden's death was a "resounding triumph for democratic nations fighting terrorism."

• Italy – Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi said of bin Laden's killing "This is a great outcome in the fight against evil, in the fight against terrorism, a great outcome for the United States and for all democracies."

• Japan – the Foreign Minister of Japan, Takeaki Matsumoto said, "I pay respect to the US officials concerned. While his death was confirmed, it does not mean that terrorism was eliminated."

• Kenya – Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said "It's a major achievement in the war against terrorism."

• Libya – Libyan rebel Air Force Colonel Ahmed Omar Bani stated that "We are very happy and we are waiting for the next step. We want the Americans to do the same to Gaddafi."

• Malaysia – Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein says he hopes that the death of bin Laden would help bring universal peace and harmony.

• Mexico – Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa Cantellano said "It is of great importance in efforts to free the world from the scourge of terrorism, which threatens peace and security, particularly one who leads one of the most ruthless and bloody terrorist organizations in the world."

• NATO – NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the killing of Bin Laden is a "significant success" for the security of NATO allies, Reuters reports.

• New Zealand – New Zealand Prime Minister John Key stated that "the world is a safer place without Osama bin Laden", but "bin Laden's death may not mean an end to terrorism".

• Netherlands – Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte praises the courage and the determination that people showed during the mission. He further says that this is a major blow to the Al-Queda network. He has presented his compliments to President Obama but also said this is not the end of terrorism.

• Norway – Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre called the death of Osama bin Laden "a break-through in the fight against terror," but insisted that the threat from al-Qaida remained.

• Palestinian Authority – "Getting rid of Bin Laden is good for the cause of peace worldwide but what counts is to overcome the discourse and the methods — the violent methods — that were created and encouraged by Bin Laden and others in the world," said spokesman Ghassan Khatib.

• Poland – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Justice may be done. Congratulations to Allies. We are pleased with the American people."

• Philippines – The Philippine National Police described bin Laden's death as "a victory for all peace loving citizens and a major blow to terrorists and terrorism." Authorities in the Philippines believe that there are people who are linked to bin Laden's al-Qaeda network and may commit a retaliation attack.

• Portugal – The President of Portugal, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, sent a message to the President of the United states in which he expressed his solidarity with the feelings of the American people when the outcome of the military operation of which ended with the death of Osama bin Laden became known.

• Russia – "Russia was among the first countries to face the dangers inherent in global terrorism, and unfortunately knows what al Qaeda is not from hearsay," the Kremlin said. "Retribution will inevitably reach all terrorists."

• Singapore – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "the killing of Osama bin Laden [...] is a significant milestone in the struggle against international terrorism."

• Spain – Prime Minister of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero expressed: "In name of my Government and the spanish society, the satisfaction shared with the american people for the result of the antiterrorist operation which led to Bin Laden's death"

• Sweden – Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt wrote a tweet saying that "A world without Osama Bin Laden is a better world. His hatred was a threat to us all."

• Turkey – President Abdullah Gul said that bin Laden's death "should teach a lesson that the leader of the world's most dangerous and sophisticated terrorist organization is captured this way."

• United Kingdom – Prime Minister David Cameron said that bin Laden's death would "bring great relief" around the world.

• Vatican City – Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said that while Christians "do not rejoice" over a death, bin Laden's death serves to remind them of "each person's responsibility before God and men," expressing hope that bin Laden's death "would not be an occasion for more hate, but for peace." The Vatican went on to say that Osama bin Laden must answer to God for having killed an innumerable number of people and exploiting religion.

• Yemen – A government official described bin Laden' death as "a truly historic moment". "We welcome the news ... millions of people will sleep in peace tonight, Osama bin Laden was more of a symbolic figure, a spiritual leader for al Qaeda. But this is definitely a strong blow to the organization," said the official, who did not want to be named because he is not authorized to talk to the media."

^ It seems the majority of the world are just as happy that he is dead as we are.

I found this posted on FB on several people's status pages and really like it: "Now I lay me down to sleep...one less terrorist this world does keep...with all my heart I give my thanks...to those in uniform regardless of ranks...you serve our country and serve it well...with humble hearts your stories tell...so as I rest my weary eyes...while freedom rings our flag still flies...you give your all, do what you must...with God we live and God we trust....Amen." ^

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactions_to_the_death_of_Osama_bin_Laden