Bring it on!

As the year end approaches, I find myself feeling somewhat bitter about what 2013 left at my doorstep. Admittedly, such an attitude is not a healthy one. At best it is a selfish attitude. According to Buddha, " The Mind is the source of happiness and unhappiness". Could the Buddha be saying that life is what you make of it?

I'm sure that 2014 will test me like I have never been tested before. So be it. I'll do my damn-est to be up to the task. If I can get my mind to shun bitterness and accept life's challenges , there is no reason not to bid a peaceful adieu to 2013 and be grateful that I and my loved ones are here to welcome 2014.

As Buddha said, "To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him."

The new year owes me nothing. I owe it a disciplined mind. 2014 will be what I make of it - nothing more, nothing less. Bring it on.

The Grinch Did It

I shop at Target occasionally. I may be one of the 47 million customers who used a credit card there between November 27 and December 15 but I'm not confirming that. Yes, I'm pissed. I'm not quite sure who I'm pissed with. Could it be that the Target CEO who was a strong supporter of Romney is the perpetrator (some analysts believe it was an inside job)? No way - he's only stupid when it comes to politics, not business. Then there is the Tea Party - is this another way to give Obama a migraine. If so, it didn't work - he's off to Hawaii. A better guess is that the NSA got carried away. If so, there is no need to worry, they are mining so much data gathered about our personal lives, that by the time they analyze credit card accounts, most of them will be defunct.


 As far as I'm concerned, the most likely thief is the Grinch. The SOB has been taking an online course, "Hacking 101". As a sidelight, I wonder why the Grinch is green?

I understand that there is a controversy going on as to whether or not Santa Claus is a man of color but there has been no mention of the Grinch and his color. I have it from an anonymous source that the Grinch is green with envy. Santa gets all the publicity and the Grinch gets all the flak. That being the case I deem the Grinch guilty of identity theft.

I know, I know! This is a lot of gibberish about a serious event. Sorry about that, but that's what happens when you live in an Orwellian society. It's one way of confusing Big Brother in case he's an anonymous follower of this blog.

In spite of political events, data mining and credit card theft, there will be a Christmas this year. Many will celebrate the birth of Christ. At least as many will celebrate the fruits of  50% off shopping and the Grinch will celebrate his new found wealth. You say I sound like the Grinch - I can understand that. In the interest of full disclosure, he is a distant relative (hope I'm in his will).

Of Politicians, Legacies and Sainthood

President Mandela is dead! Long live Saint Mandela! It is a wonder that Pope Francis hasn't come forth to announce the canonization of Nelson Mandela. There is no doubt that Mandela was an extraordinary man and is to be noted as a leader who served his cause well. Lest we forget, he was also a politician ( a very astute one). Politicians only take on the aura of a saint upon their death. Mandela joins the likes of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy whose questionable political exploits have been relegated to footnotes while those that were masterful have been exploited to the point where they are deemed to be worthy of sainthood.

Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter traveled to South Africa to honor Mandela. I'm sure their own chances of achieving sainthood may have crossed their minds. I doubt that Bush really gives a rat's ass. Even one as astute as 'W' would realize that his legacy of the Iraq War makes sainthood out of the question. Jimmy Carter's chances are also less than nil.The poor guy has had an uphill battle trying to make people forget his presidential miscues and he hasn't gotten the release of a political prisoner lately. Obama has three more years for a shot at sainthood. I doubt that he will make it. Hell, he really hasn't fostered any legislative accomplishments even coming close to those of FDR or even Lyndon Johnson ( no matter what Joe Biden says). In all fairness, great legislation can only come if one has a a legislative body dedicated to legislating rather than destroying a sitting President.

And then there is Bill Clinton. Mr. Clinton already considers himself a saint- in-waiting. That's really half the battle. Now if he can get Hillary elected President in 2016, he will have it made.

I remember when FDR died. I was sure he would go down in history as the savior of his country. Not so. For some reason, his legacy is not worthy of sainthood. The more I think about it, deeds do not a saint make. The media makes a saint.

Pass the nuts but hold the baccala

It is that time of year to wax nostalgic about Christmas' past. Flowing from the keyboards of bloggers are mouth watering Christmas Eve food recipes which have been traditional in their families. I'm not going to join the crowd. Christmas Eve for me was memorable because of family gatherings - not because of the menu.

As a youngster, I knew that Christmas was just around the corner because of a creature that had taken residence on the front porch. My Pop had taken some hard earned coins and purchased a Pesce Stocco also known as Baccala. If neither label rings a bell, try dried Cod.

My family was not particularly religious ( I never saw the inside of a church until I was almost a teenager  - but that's another story). In spite of this, the Christmas Eve menu was devoid of meat. I believe it had something to do with fasting, a Papal decree or in our case, tradition. Be that as it may, on Christmas Eve, Baccala was the treat. Having observed that ugly fish frozen stiff on the front porch, I was sure that not even my Mom could make it fit for consumption. Sure enough, the first taste convinced me that baccala did not a Christmas make.

Suffice to say that my parents were not exactly pleased with my rejection of the centerpiece of Christmas Eve dinner. Mind you, there was a Depression going on. They began to wonder if the wrong child had been delivered to their home when I turned thumbs down on another Christmas Eve specialty - pasta con sarde. As far as I was concerned, pasta was meant to be served with meatballs and sausage not some picayune sardines.

Having rejected a good part of Christmas Eve dinner, I was sure my Christmas stocking would be filled with coal. I knew that my Christmas was doomed when I refused to eat the snails. As an adult I became fond of escargot ( probably because of the name) but as a youth I questioned the sanity of anyone wanting to eat a snail.

Before the evening was over I did manage to get some food into a barking stomach. The cannoli were great as well as the nuts and fruit.

As for Christmas present, pass the nuts but hold the baccala. Buono Natale!