tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178684042024-03-20T05:49:10.689-04:00roman's musings....continuing the search for truth and the quest for wisdom...romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-25763785520492572852021-01-01T15:30:00.002-05:002021-01-01T15:30:28.931-05:00<p>It's the 1st day of <b>2021</b>... <b>Happy New Year!</b></p><p>Last year was an awful year with COVID-19 taking up all the attention and limiting our freedoms to a great extent. I'm glad to see there are inoculations rolling out to lessen the impact this plague has afflicted on us. </p><p>On a more personal note, my brother John passed away in August after suffering kidney failure and other diabetes related afflictions. He was 73 years old.</p><p>I'll miss him and the breakfast get-togethers every Thursday morning at Jimmy's Broad Street Diner where everyone else recognized us as "regulars" and the breakfasts never disappointed.</p><p>Looking forward now to see how the future will unfold....</p>romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-79839916818214888722013-09-10T11:30:00.002-04:002013-09-13T00:30:10.442-04:00Volunteer <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi3zQUEBPk6ZQOmhdt-NPPnBpPQq7C3JXbwqxEsSRSGk1drspR960ZOC9jbCOPDOeUOdyCQKxSIfAK89kEfXzM4KD00a-selq-dW8apywY54mNjDzTd3AaQ-1r-V7w6oqRcY8/s1600/Volunteer+Sept+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi3zQUEBPk6ZQOmhdt-NPPnBpPQq7C3JXbwqxEsSRSGk1drspR960ZOC9jbCOPDOeUOdyCQKxSIfAK89kEfXzM4KD00a-selq-dW8apywY54mNjDzTd3AaQ-1r-V7w6oqRcY8/s320/Volunteer+Sept+2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Please tip-toe around this precious volunteer. <br />
Because in my heart, it is held most dear.<br />
Beautiful and fragile it may be now and tomorrow.<br />
Soon to be gone leaving nothing but sorrow.<br />
Many joyful surprises vanish before life's noon.<br />
Winter's icy darkness will replace it too soon.<br />
Take care and cherish all life while it's near.<br />
Trudge lightly your path and make sure to steer. <br />
romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-87531899533341322632013-01-15T01:11:00.001-05:002013-07-22T02:32:55.055-04:00Brief update.It has been a while since my last post. <br />
Many noteworthy events have taken place since. <br />
I am getting prepared for another tax preparation season to start within 2 weeks. Since my retirement from my "day job", I will be able to devote more time to this activity. I am glad for the additional time because the tax prep business is getting more and more complex with the myriad of new rules and regulations by the US Treasury aka IRS. Requirements like a mandatory 15 CE credits each year, taking exams and increasing professional liability due to increased onus of reporting proper tax data by policing customer information. It is almost not worth continuing this activity as a small part time side business.
<br />
I am recovering from a bout with influenza. It has been about 10 days and I still have some chest congestion and an intermittent cough. I guess the flu shot I got was not effective for the strain going around.
<br />
We vacationed last August/September in Hawaii with friends. Stayed at the Sheraton on Waikiki Beach in Oahu. Also at the Sheraton on Kaanapalli in Mauii. It was a lot of fun with friends as we toured the islands and were active every day with sightseeing, swimming and snorkeling. The road to Hana was fun with all the hair-pin turns and scenic waterfalls in a tropical jungle setting. We also spent three days in Los Angeles on our way back where we stayed with friends at their beautiful home in a posh neighborhood near Beverly Hills. Visited Santa Monica pier and Universal Studios. <br />
I'm going to have to go on a diet as I was surprised to find myself 30 lbs heavier since I retired in April. It sneaks up on you... so they say.
romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-68316664239077858082012-08-15T15:37:00.000-04:002012-08-15T15:37:23.627-04:00Goodbye Missy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lIl2qVKCgXMCfjh7rPKDqsi4epj6aBKgRyQYEKyX04mjEEAjbxe0KAKTB1lEb2814rO8d_7IQzyCjLOIkuZMEcw6T5AsO7_cPjJN0vE9r7ubKoFR7FPst7IfhhJbhdpEqZqX/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lIl2qVKCgXMCfjh7rPKDqsi4epj6aBKgRyQYEKyX04mjEEAjbxe0KAKTB1lEb2814rO8d_7IQzyCjLOIkuZMEcw6T5AsO7_cPjJN0vE9r7ubKoFR7FPst7IfhhJbhdpEqZqX/s320/006.JPG" /></a></div>
You left this earthly plane on Tuesday afternoon July 10'th.
I don't know why the date is important.
I guess its only to acknowledge the fact that of all our previous feline members of the family, you were with us the longest.
How sweet and affectionate you were.
Those bright and beautiful eyes seemed to be able to soften the hardest heart.
Your consistently pleasant nature never varied even slightly and thus you were a precious gift to us for which we will always be grateful. We will never forget your instantaneous welcoming reflex reaction to a simple touch from our hand as you drew yourself to be as near to us as possible.
Your time with us was a blessing.
We miss you!
We always will!
romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-37241150785724942242012-06-29T05:48:00.001-04:002012-06-29T05:59:23.156-04:00Fooled again!Oh, so it is a <b>TAX</b> afterall.....
Obamacare is now the law of the land.
It has some features that show promise but at what cost? Its fervent promoters do not seem to care about cost only the promissed benefits. I call it the "liberal utopian construct of reality". In their minds, there are no <i>down</i> sides..only <i>up</i> sides. The stark reality is that our current fragile economy needs less burdens placed on businesses not more. The enormous <b>TAX</b> this new health care plan introduces cannot come at a worse time. Businesses will now put into action their plans for "the worst case scenario" which means that in order to preserve their bottom line and stay in the black, their highest expense (personnel) must be kept in check. An obvious part of the action plan implementation will be an immediate hiring freeze and maybe even a second look at culling the workforce.
The unemployment job numbers will soar even further. Not even the politically inspired constant increases in government employment will be able to slow the jobless rate.
Brace yourselves for a severe slowdown in business activity and increases in the roles of the jobless.
Instead of incremental changes in the health care programs <i>over time </i>as the economy improves, this upper-cut to the jaw will leave a stunning result in the psyche of thinking folk everywhere. Will it be enough to put us back on the right track to political sanity? It's probably too late because it seems that most of the voting public is interested more in who gets voted as the new entertainment television idol than governmental control over their very lives.
After presenting this mandate as <b>not a tax increase </b>this past three years, this administration deceived us and I cannot but feel insulted at being treated so disrespectfully. They have no shame!romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-42424388900840365582011-12-31T14:40:00.003-05:002012-02-01T04:51:41.077-05:00Happy New YearI'm still around.<br />Have not been able to blog much lately.<br />Very busy at work. Late nights and some Saturdays and Sundays, too.<br />It will be 2012 in a few hours..I don't know why that causes a slight increase in the level of anxiety and some sense of melancholia. <br />After all, it's just another number that happens to be next in line while our stream of consciousness continues unabated.<br />We decided not to go ballroom dancing, nightclubbing or such this newyear's eve. Just a quiet evening inside and a visit with local friends tomorrow for dinner.<br />Remy, our three year old Papipoo is lying next to my computer and keeps an eye out for what may happen next. He's always ready to do something, anything.<br />Just ordered another computer from Dell... a Vostro with the latest MS OS and Intel 7 chip.. to replace the one I am using since it is 7 years old and runs XP (not that there is anything wrong with XP). With the tremendous increase in data being transmitted due to video streaming and the like, it is important to keep up to date with the latest technical improvements. <br />I'm sticking with Dell since the last three computers gave a good accounting of themselves.<br />Soon, I'll start to process tax returns for the many friends/clients that keep calling me each year. I guess they like the service I provide.<br />I hope the Iowa caucuses will hopefully launch Mitt Romney as the strongest contender to replace Obama. Don't get me wrong, I like some of Obama's foreign policies but not his domestic policies. His big government mind-set has not produced the hope and change promised. 45% of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 are unemployed. That's very troubling. What are almost half of this age group of young people going to do with their time?<br />Anyway, we need to get this country back into producing jobs. With stats at an official 8.6% unemployed and supposedly up to 17% not or under-employed.. we need to change course on our domestic economic agenda.<br />OK, I'm stepping off my soap box for now.<br />My wish is for all to find peace and renewal of a spirituality that makes us comfortable in our daily lives. Here's hoping for a better year in 1012.romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-86679452437263394282011-06-16T19:00:00.004-04:002011-06-16T19:18:00.777-04:00Bruins Win It!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5XCl_LNlDn_gocubSbgm94M-1MiqeRWi2KUFY9n9CH5QIODndpwgEjCvQ6w9HCBiAzrz-3pqvTZamqBGuKBNIDU4jcD9Xe0hZt4YGP4EVn6bMcfXkYe_LV2gUqPsmFlxu7LJ/s1600/Stanley+Cup.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5XCl_LNlDn_gocubSbgm94M-1MiqeRWi2KUFY9n9CH5QIODndpwgEjCvQ6w9HCBiAzrz-3pqvTZamqBGuKBNIDU4jcD9Xe0hZt4YGP4EVn6bMcfXkYe_LV2gUqPsmFlxu7LJ/s320/Stanley+Cup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618952759834812162" /></a><br />Congratulations to the Boston Bruins in capturing Lord Stanley's cup. They defeated the Vancouver Canucks in a hard fought seven game series. It's good to have the cup back in Boston after a stretch of 39 long years. <br />Can one be blamed for losing interest in hockey because of such a long lapse without a competitive team? <br />Especially when one clearly remembers the early 70's when Orr, Esposito, Cheevers, Sanderson, MacKenzie, Hodge, Cashman and Bucyk (amongst others) dazzled the Boston fans at the old Gardens with excitement galore.<br />I miss seeing Bucyk's hip checks and watching "swoop" Carlton's long reaching poke checks to clear the puck from an opponent's control. How about Sanderson's penalty killing? WOW, those were the days. I almost forgot how gut-wrenching and heart-stopping these playoff games can be for a loyal fan. I got just a flash of it again during the last seven games.romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-8744149661385347822011-02-28T16:57:00.008-05:002011-03-01T18:08:21.348-05:00Unions? Are they outdated?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxAqHP1cH33pSKw5mJeXtNue53fW3FP4h-_C316tXPgWpy33ep4JgcQ2sYkIz21FgcytTdNmnIwIPAvxG2hEv5tT3ZzjAr_f4uPlHkKQTZbHu_HAPYIRDP9GLZg73IJSD92zT/s1600/Public+unions.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 80px; height: 80px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxAqHP1cH33pSKw5mJeXtNue53fW3FP4h-_C316tXPgWpy33ep4JgcQ2sYkIz21FgcytTdNmnIwIPAvxG2hEv5tT3ZzjAr_f4uPlHkKQTZbHu_HAPYIRDP9GLZg73IJSD92zT/s320/Public+unions.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579252218875187266" /></a><br />Even though I have never been a union member, I would like to sincerely thank those union members of the past for making my time in the workforce a lot easier than it was way back when. They risked and sacrificed a lot to bring about the 40 hour work week, reasonable wages, work safety, etc. I don't know if I could have lasted in those old workplace environments of the pre-union days. <br />This process of collective labor representation had its roots in England way back in 1807. For over 200 years, brave men and women have defied the very people who held their means of making a living in their hands. The working conditions these unions fought for these last two centuries have resulted in solid labor laws which are now government regulated and strictly enforced.<br />So why still have unions?<br />Many critics will state that today's unions keep wages artificially high. These high wages, while highly desirable to their beneficiaries, tend to ultimately place the workers in a position of losing their jobs to outsourced labor in countries with cheaper standards of living. This short-lived union benefit has a foreseeable end game which is the 800 pound gorilla no one seems to want to address. In this modern world economy this trend has accelerated with each global free trade treaty that's signed. <br />While private unions still serve their constituents by keeping wages and benefits at a "competitive" level with the private sector, public unions are an altogether different story. They should be done away with as soon as possible. Even the greatly revered liberal Democratic president, FDR, stated that public unions should not be allowed to exist. Even back in the 1940's, he understood the conflict of interest public unions represent.<br />Collective bargaining between public unions and public officials is a system fraught with the temptation to undermine the political process. The injured party is the tax-payer. In typical negotiations, one side agrees to wage and benefit increases and the other side agrees to supply the financial backing for the other side's reelection. In effect, the negotiators occupy BOTH sides of the negotiating table with the taxpayer picking up the ever-increasing tab. I strongly suspect that this cycle of give and give instead of give and take, without thought of future sustainability, has placed the finances of city, state and country in dire jeopardy. <br />As recent events have shown, the public union membership up in Minnesota (and other places) need to realize that a large portion of private and non-public sector workers have suffered loss of jobs, pay freezes and the burden of paying a much larger shares for benefits these last three years. The ongoing public union protests are like a slap in the face of every non-public union and private sector employee since what is being protested is the duly elected people's representative's attempt to curtail the continuation of a cycle of raising taxes to satisfy the ever increasing "HIGHER STANDARD OF LIVING" that public sector union employees are enjoying and are fighting to keep. Most non-public and private sector workers had no choice but to adjust to the present economic slump but these protesters seem to be refusing to even budge in the face of obvious state and city financial budget collapse. <br />No matter how I try, I just cannot find any reason to sympathize with their protest movement. Whenever self-interest trumps the larger common good, it makes for bad feelings and a kind of "us/them" mindset of partisanship. <br />The good ride is over, it's time to face reality.romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-5454881002920833282011-01-04T18:07:00.002-05:002011-01-04T18:16:56.248-05:00Happy MMXII am still around and hope to blog again on a regular basis soon. Right now I'm moving way too fast to transfer thought into words.<br />To all my blogging friends, I wish a healthy, joyous and prosperous new year.romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-75330507802212102362010-11-04T17:25:00.002-04:002010-11-04T17:54:53.949-04:00Political GridlockNow that the Republicans have taken control of the House of Representatives and brought a larger representation to the Senate, there is one thing we can be certain of for the next two years. <br />Gridlock!<br />The combination of Obama's leftist idealism and the hyper-partisan ism of the Democrats and Republicans dooms our political system to grind down to a halt.<br />As I search my mind, I just cannot conceive of any of these current political actors "reaching out" or "compromising' in any true sense of the meaning of those terms.<br />Yes, it's true that they are telling us that they will "come to the center" to get needed legislation passed but who believes their words anymore? The public is jaded and has such a low opinion of the political class in total that their words now carry the same weight as used-car salesmen. My apologies to used-car salesmen.<br />Hope springs eternal, however, and I'm going to be looking for those brave few exceptions in the political arena to "just do their job" and rediscover the true meaning of compromise. Compromise, when one thinks about it, is really the only tool at their disposal to accomplish their sworn official duties.<br />I'm keeping my fingers crossed.romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-9995808928276406952010-10-07T16:49:00.004-04:002010-10-07T18:20:40.739-04:00Health CareIt looks like the Democrats are in trouble this November. <br />Losing the House majority looks definite. <br />The Senate may also be in jeopardy according to some political pundits who claim to know these things. <br />With renewed strength on their side of the aisle, the Republicans will most likely try to starve (financially) the new Obamacare (aka National Health Care Reform) just passed and just getting under way. <br />I would like to remind all those hopeful Republicans that while this new health plan may have been "forced" on us by the current administration at a very bad time, economically speaking, it nevertheless has some solid reforms that should stay. <br />Sure, the dependent coverage extension to age 26 is just plain silly and should be done away with. This is just a government social engineering ploy and all it really accomplishes is to keep young adults infantile and dependent on their parents for another few years. It's ridiculous. <br />Some reforms, however, should stay. <br />Among them, abolishing lifetime and annual limits of coverage, pre-existing conditions and keeping many of the preventive care provisions. There are a few others.<br />Our health insurance system before these reforms was unfair and the long term prognosis will only lead to more and more class hatred and social upheaval due to health services availability for only the well-healed, so to speak. <br />Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. <br />There are many worthy and needed reforms in this package. I sense that with some tweaking, a general consensus may be achieved which will strengthen our nation's health system and make it more equitable to a larger sector of the public.<br />To dump the whole package would anger most of us voters immensely. <br />I firmly believe that anger would then be heard loudly in the 2012 elections.romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-48659331041368106112010-07-18T10:55:00.004-04:002010-07-18T13:57:13.417-04:00The "Special Interest" Curse.My country, the USA, is still the most desired place in the world to live, prosper and pursue happiness despite all the bad news seen daily in the media. Our political system is currently under heavy stress, however, and will need every freedom-loving citizen to come to its aid. <br />We must DEMAND no less than "full disclosure" from all our representatives in order to relieve this stress. <br />The stress of which I am talking about can be described simply as political pandering by both sides of the aisle to the ever inreasing special interest groups.<br />Our system of governance is, and has been, under assault from groups which seek special favors and lobby heavily with money and the promise of votes. I am not talking so much about the lobbying efforts by industry and union representatives who may seek general policy direction for their constituents. These efforts usually seek to benefit and improve the entire nation's social and economic picture. <br />I am talking about groups who are seeking favors aka "mandates" which will directly result in transfers of wealth utilizing our taxing system. Once implemented, these policies most often result in taking money away from not just the very wealthy but working citizens and giving it to groups who claim victim hood in one way or another. <br /><br />Please do not get me wrong. <br />Some are legitimate and should be given our full attention and compassion.<br /><br />Here's the problem.. not everyone is a victim and deserving of "special treatment".<br />The victim groups have steadily multiplied into an industry of its own. Colleges and universities have created study courses which have lent legitimacy to many groups who were considered "fringe" at best just a few years ago. These groups have evolved into movements claiming to be historically oppressed and thus owed special treatment as victims. Demanding economic and social justice they have become a major factor in the corrupting influence in our present political system. <br />Here's how it works.<br />Career politicians need money in order to defeat their opponents. The special interest forces invest vast sums to the candidate for favorable policy decisions. Once elected, political favors and election funds become an accepted quid pro quo understanding. <br />This political game, winked at as just an oddity for so many years has become so pervasive as to become a corruption serious enough to become a danger to the stability of the entire system. The majority of the populace is starting to recognize this and is becoming agitated.<br />Now I know what some might say about my little rant and thus miss the point of this piece completely. <br />Some might be strongly tempted to say; which groups are you talking about? <br />I am not equipped to make such judgements and even if I made an attempt this would lead us completely off point.<br />The point is not about the justification of which group to favor or dismiss but the actual long term effect that this relationship between politicians and special interest representatives has on our political system. It has become clear even to the average citizen that our political system has evolved to become just a wealth transfer scheme benefiting those who have found a way to "game" our system. As hard-working taxpayers they feel more and more "ripped off" and are rapidly loosing any respect for Congress and the President not to mention local government.<br />The Obama team's election promise was "full disclosure". Where is it? <br />All lobbying money to elected officials should be disclosed no matter its source or value.<br />The problem is that back room deals and favors for votes are dispensed right in front of our eyes and we are powerless to stop it. <br />Am I the only one so frustrated?romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-19119776544825805832010-06-12T16:25:00.006-04:002010-06-12T16:57:29.984-04:00"Remy" the Papipoo now two!Remy eagerly greets me every day I get home from work. <br />Happy birthday little one.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDmAdg8SzNl2crHnf1H76nbsW4yxBheF_pgdKD8OVt-ePo6d3wURHW0hPqyPsoIApBW7P7wjOG9DJ35TnuwWLnJEvefAGC8QaFmxjb00uQad05KR8a1U0ZP1rrJbCnAKr6XN3/s1600/April,+May+2010+013.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDmAdg8SzNl2crHnf1H76nbsW4yxBheF_pgdKD8OVt-ePo6d3wURHW0hPqyPsoIApBW7P7wjOG9DJ35TnuwWLnJEvefAGC8QaFmxjb00uQad05KR8a1U0ZP1rrJbCnAKr6XN3/s320/April,+May+2010+013.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481991829650608546" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWTyq8qpNCDViuID51EUVkFiZBbDihwyPdqXE7Yf7IxYoePfG3SS6sRXuCVa68U8M5pfNeZMg_86_zbVDmj3ARP-ZkYZKd9FJMrrZECl4AzmrnUNgkMxXec-mDk15PQff8YHL/s1600/April,+May+2010+003.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWTyq8qpNCDViuID51EUVkFiZBbDihwyPdqXE7Yf7IxYoePfG3SS6sRXuCVa68U8M5pfNeZMg_86_zbVDmj3ARP-ZkYZKd9FJMrrZECl4AzmrnUNgkMxXec-mDk15PQff8YHL/s320/April,+May+2010+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481991619183942114" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2mQt8fELdD0YfbERCWihyIbo-i-KwqYXHY2F-p4eIWmoYfdeeottazlm_vfqr9gJWudL9mi7ELpzUIJDmvdi863DFSiTiPoqgfrsxJWmwmEZ21rFQDwW1u8Ec9mps3_ocJMk/s1600/otto_&_Boo.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2mQt8fELdD0YfbERCWihyIbo-i-KwqYXHY2F-p4eIWmoYfdeeottazlm_vfqr9gJWudL9mi7ELpzUIJDmvdi863DFSiTiPoqgfrsxJWmwmEZ21rFQDwW1u8Ec9mps3_ocJMk/s320/otto_&_Boo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481988884143452610" /></a><br />Here's dad "Otto" and mom "Boo". <br />They are the proud parents of our Remy.romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-3035675373492034172010-06-07T17:51:00.004-04:002010-09-07T13:02:38.457-04:00Ground Zero MosqueWhat's up with the kerfuffle regarding the plans to build on and expand a mosque about two blocks away from ground zero? Lest we forget, ground zero is the site of the 9/11 attack by crazed religiously inspired terrorists. From what I've been hearing and reading, there are voices both in opposition and in favor.<br />Here's my take on it...<br />Ground zero and the city of NY has been and remains the focal point of a misguided segment of Islamic religious extremist terrorists' hatred for our way of life. Since Muslim Americans have made the decision to build a large combination mosque and community center makes it clear, to me at least, that they stand with the citizens of New York City and the rest of this great country. It confirms that they stand in opposition to the twisted hatred that resulted in 9/11 and similar attacks. <br />Why? <br />Because they are knowingly placing themselves and their worshippers in the bull's eye of the focal point of that targeted hatred. <br />They are making a statement. They are saying that they believe so strongly in our way of life that they're even willing to become targets of a 9/11-like strike if, God forbid, it should ever happen again. They are willing to risk their own safety to show solidarity with their fellow neighbors regardless of what their religious beliefs may be.<br />I say welcome them with open arms as if they were our brothers and sisters.romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-71936360147581931582010-03-09T16:35:00.005-05:002010-03-29T12:00:26.584-04:00If guns are outlawed only outlaws will...Gun ownership is an undisputed right (for most of us) here in these United States. In many states, however, the right to own a gun is left up to the sole discretion of a local official or police chief who can make it very, very difficult if he/she so chooses. This means that a "roadblock" exists even for an upstanding, law-abiding member of the community who may decide to exercise his/her constitutional right to purchase and own a gun for self protection. This "roadblock", while logical and necessary in keeping guns out of the hands of crooks and the mentally unstable, has an undercurrent of unintended consequences. The most notable of these unintended consequences is the intimidation of the general populace into thinking that the barrier to gun ownership is just too great and hence this right is out of their reach. One can readily see how this may lead to a mindset that leaves many good and decent citizens discouraged and defenceless and thus unable to defend their homes and families. <br />Thus, one may logically conclude that a ban on gun ownership exists without the passage of a constitutional amendment. <br />This method of "soft abridgement" of our rights must be challenged whenever and wherever it exists. Unfair and heavy-handed restrictions are a serious encroachment on our basic civil rights. The choice to own a weapon should be every law-abiding, mature and responsible citizen's basic constitutional right and this pro-forma ban must be done away with. <br />Do we just allow everyone to have a weapon? Of course not!<br />One way to restore this choice and eliminate the unintended soft abridgement is for state and federal government to actively reach out and identify long-standing decent members of the community by the empowered officials or police. Maybe by periodically notifying these constituants of this right by mail or scheduled town meetings on the subject. <br />Just a further observation on this topic. <br />Every once in a while, there will be an incident of gun violence and the media and ultra liberal utopianists immediately fall into the usual knee-jerk reactionary call for further restricting gun ownership. The Constitutional amendment guaranteeing this right, by way of many judicial challenges, has been upheld many, many times. This fact does not seem to bother the state-control enthusiasts in the least. <br />The fact that the overwhelming majority of citizens are responsible and law-abiding and just a tiny minuscule number are either predators or wackjobs does not compute in their odd sense of logic. So what is their liberal/progressive solution to safeguard the public from gun and terror violence? Their solution is to strip away the constitutional rights of the 99.99% of us responsible law-abiding citizens. Not only does this NOT MAKE SENSE but it reflects our federal and local government's lack of responsibly ENFORCING THE LAWS THAT ARE ALREADY ON THE BOOKS. Their excuse... the Constitution was meant to be a "malleable" instrument! I strongly suspect that most people who have any semblance of common sense recognize this just for what it is..an EXCUSE to go the EASY route.<br />Politicians who treat their jobs as regular 9 to 5's, do not want the complications of upholding their constitutionally required duties. They find it's easier to regulate and control the 99.99% of us into forced compliance than to be burdened by having to faithfully enforce the laws to prevent the crooks and wackjobs from repeatedly defying the laws on our books. <br />It's the current "low-hanging fruit" theory of both law enforcement and political oversight that ultimately allows career crooks and wackjobs to prey on the rest of us lawful 99.99%.romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-71708713028244256462010-01-20T18:27:00.013-05:002010-01-21T19:10:35.970-05:0052% Great Scott!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuU7mkWlk3cijLKUpl70zPbfnWY_1y25NLB_wHHf3yUEcgPT-pIEY1j3m7vF8hkAUuW0RE129GQe4b9ijiCQ_gf64imjWvQdt4VqVcssKMqF6jovjCwx1NvGnaGzQeV4eHLMKd/s1600-h/Brown+2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 74px; height: 65px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuU7mkWlk3cijLKUpl70zPbfnWY_1y25NLB_wHHf3yUEcgPT-pIEY1j3m7vF8hkAUuW0RE129GQe4b9ijiCQ_gf64imjWvQdt4VqVcssKMqF6jovjCwx1NvGnaGzQeV4eHLMKd/s320/Brown+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428975059743864322" /></a><br />Yesterday, being a Massachusetts voter who trudged through the snowy slush and freezing drizzle to cast my vote for Scott Brown, it was a day for the record books. Ted Kennedy's Senatorial seat, now a/k/a the "people's seat", has finally been pried loose from the Kennedy family's control. In some manner or form, the Kennedy family has maintained control of this seat ever since 1952. Is this any way to uphold Democratic principles in our so called Republic? For more reasons than I could ever enumerate here, it obviously is not. However, if there ever was a place for this curious phenomenon, then traditionally liberal "one-party" Massachusetts is its Utopia. <br />After yesterday's votes were counted, I was so happy, I had to switch to decaf to avoid becoming totally out of control. <br />Political arrogance and elitism has finally been somewhat stifled and the rest of the "smarter than thou" crowd both locally on Beacon Hill and in Washington D.C. has been put on notice. By electing Scott Brown we, the 52%, made a statement. WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE! We reject outright those political hacks who ignore the public interest while pursuing their own ambitions for higher office and just "going along to get along". We are going to seek out and find those few honest representative hopefuls who think and act INDEPENDENTLY. From now on we must vote out any rubber-stampers who blindly tow the party line whether Dems or Repubs. Only then can we be assured of FAIR representation the way our founding fathers envisioned it and handed it down to us in the form of the Constitution of the USA.<br />It would be in the people's direct interest to cancel, not permanently, but for at least a few years, their affiliation to either the Democrat or Republican party and become an un-enrolled or independent voter. Just this simple act of defiance will be a giant leap in reducing the ugly lock-step partisanship which is on daily display in local and national government. Further, we should never again allow the political "machine" to become so pervasively controlling and "out of touch" as today's Congress and Executive branch has shown themselves to be.<br />Backroom deals, bribes, pay-offs and out-of-control spending (of money that isn't even there yet) needs to stop immediately.<br />An angry 52% of the people of Massachusetts have spoken clearly. The political status-quo cannot continue on its present path of accelerated national political devolution. If we, as a nation, are to retain the hard-earned quality of exceptionalism in all matters of diplomatic, academic, social, economic and security responsibilities we must start immediately to use the power of our vote wisely with informed self-interest and not by overbearing partisan loyalties.romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-84398650436983797922009-12-28T17:57:00.008-05:002009-12-28T18:54:22.517-05:00No more hacks, please.Can we conclude that it is NOT SAFE to fly? <br />Our political system of granting political favors to supporters is at fault. Case in point... Obama makes Napolitano chief of homeland security. The problem... she has absolutely no experience. <br />Napolitano was recently criticised for making the statement that, "The system worked" when referring to an amateurish terrorist attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 near Detroit on 12/25/09. She later corrected herself on a morning TV show by admitting to host Matt Lauer that the security system had in fact failed. <br />This political appointee should resign as soon as possible because she seems to have absolutely no idea what she is doing. She's a political "hack" who can't even give an accurate accounting of events and make basic conclusions.<br />The fact that an amateur wannabe terrorist was on a plane with an incendiary device over a large city in the US should never be construed as a security "success". She must think the general public is so gullible and dumb as to be incapable of making a logical conclusion based on the facts. Evidently Rahm Emmanuel or someone else who was able to make logical inferences had to clue her in and convince her to make a correcting statement. Obviously, she's over her head.<br />Had this been a REAL trained terrorist, we would have experienced a tragedy with 300 or so passengers and unknown number of Detroit residents dead. <br />It's time to end this dangerous political game of appointing inexperienced "hacks" (political supporters) to positions of critical security responsibility. Politicians should never again be allowed to gamble with the lives of their constituents.<br />Obama, where is the change?romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-3443404085064366502009-12-05T20:34:00.003-05:002009-12-05T22:14:57.757-05:00Mind your business!WOW, I have not been away from my blog this long since I started blogging so many years ago. What has kept me away so long? <br />In a word.. WORK! Lots of work crammed into not enough time.<br />The ongoing financial crisis is global and it has affected many in a negative way. It has not spared me although I think I have a handle on it. <br />My workplace has had a severe drought of activity which has lasted over a year now. Lay-offs have decimated the company's workforce and we, the blessed working survivors, are trying to be the modern day gods of productivity now that some semblance of economic activity has gradually returned. <br />In short, activity is up but no new hires! <br />I guess that's why they call it a "jobless recovery".<br />If you have ever left your house and had that nagging feeling that you left the back door wide open or left the gas on, you know how I feel each day when I'm driving home from work. <br />What have I left undone and will it be a problem? <br />I'm not looking for sympathy, I'm just wondering how wide spread this condition is? If it is widespread, what are the implications concerning the state of mind of all those maxed-out, stressed-out workers out there?<br />I can't help thinking that there will be some lasting changes even after the economy recovers.<br />This prolonged state of workplace anxiety must be having some kind of effect on those who truly believe that the buck does stop with them. There is a well known workplace maxim that "if you want something done give the job to the busiest worker". <br />Where is that busiest worker's breaking point? <br />Should we be concerned? <br />I've read someplace that a prolonged state of stress and anxiety in an entrapped environment can cause permanent changes in the way our brains function with results that may irreversably alter one's state of mind. Posttraumatic stress disorder does not present itself on 100% of combat veterans but with the few that it does, the suffering goes on for a very long time with devastating effects on themselves and their loved ones.<br />Time will tell if this C-PTSD will play out in the same percentile of workers that are asked to do the impossible as in those combat troops.romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-19311625082177649892009-10-09T17:01:00.008-04:002009-10-15T10:58:11.390-04:00Obama... Nobel Laureate?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrSgUbcKnP9Qm5V0N7de_AT1SQzcfY0AVSIrezeIjpVPP08dhISLihoV4IjagTMd4J4ZnWTx_9ebo7TmfLR66Y5oJd0bV3L7dkY5u9gNs72fb0bwAkNo1Ce8Kd7ef-Ax0Nlsh/s1600-h/LOL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 307px; height: 105px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrSgUbcKnP9Qm5V0N7de_AT1SQzcfY0AVSIrezeIjpVPP08dhISLihoV4IjagTMd4J4ZnWTx_9ebo7TmfLR66Y5oJd0bV3L7dkY5u9gNs72fb0bwAkNo1Ce8Kd7ef-Ax0Nlsh/s320/LOL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390727332725343538" /></a><br />I really thought it was a joke. <br />I heard that the Nobel Peace prize was actually awarded 12 days after BHO took office. He hadn't even warmed the chair in the oval office yet and already he is bestowed this honor. This jaw-dropping move by the Norwegian parliamentarians enforces what I have been saying all along. Our new president is stealthily following a course which will turn our nation into a socialist one ala EU. Those EU politicians voted not for what Obama did but what he will, they hope, in time deliver. Massive government with a stifling choke-hold on the economy that will secure a more socialist and anti-capitalist mindset in the populace. Thus steering our nation into a kind of economic malaise typically found in the EU and other left- of-center governments.<br />Their action of awarding this prize seems to be a direct political intrusion by way of a foreign entity to lobby and influence a sitting POTUS to form and make decisions regarding foreign policy. The award has actually "cheapened" the value and symbolic worthiness of the prize. <br />I know that some readers might scoff at my insistence that BHO is a closet socialist.<br />The proof? here's just a few:<br />*His gift of bailing out the auto makers union with stimulus money.<br />*His backing of freer rules of unionizing procedures.<br />*His sacking of a corporate CEO. Govt meddling in private industry, a first by a president, ever! <br />*His obvious support, despite waffling rhetoric, about a "public health option" which everyone knows, will over time, kill off the private insurance industry due to its inherent competitive edge (gvt financed non-profit).<br />Yes, even his ardent supporters who were convinced he is a "centrist" are now readily admitting his far left leaning (AKA socialist) agenda. <br />If you're like me and want to see actual enforcement of the laws on the books by our public employees instead of their ignoring them and blaming their shortfalls on the free enterprise system, start to vote accordingly. Let's not throw out the system that made this nation the most prosperous, free, educated and powerful to ever have existed in human history. <br />Remember to vote the "career political" bums out next election regardless of party affiliations.. I just hope it's not too late.romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-33604168824177009502009-09-27T19:10:00.003-04:002009-09-27T19:29:29.615-04:00Travel Log # 13 Copenhagen to Reykjavik to Boston<strong>Monday, June 29, 2009</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuL9kf2khY4cIfWE9cqmGz5GNwvQpTJRxmFPEYieglW2lhtOhPp5Bgxmupr8kolc83NOZhj9HUsGPYpMgjiSOxQ2V_e_iejquIyfbD2JXr_lSGZHayUUnUzkjntiYiu1PLoQg/s1600-h/P6290293.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuL9kf2khY4cIfWE9cqmGz5GNwvQpTJRxmFPEYieglW2lhtOhPp5Bgxmupr8kolc83NOZhj9HUsGPYpMgjiSOxQ2V_e_iejquIyfbD2JXr_lSGZHayUUnUzkjntiYiu1PLoQg/s200/P6290293.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386293313864468866" /></a><br /><br />Our flight leaves at 2PM. Big breakfast in the hotel followed by a lot of careful packing due to all the gifts we bought.<br />Today is Linda's birthday but we'll be traveling most of the day. Linda did some more shopping at the duty-free shoppes in the airport to get rid of most of our remaining Danish Kronen. She bought a lot of liquor and other small items.<br />The flight back did not seem as long and I guess it's because we were both ready t come home after all this time.<br />Our little puppy Remy was literally shrieking with joy when we arrived. It practically brought tears to my eyes. We just could not calm him down for the longest time.<br />It was good to be home again.romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-12329278517328363882009-09-27T18:01:00.004-04:002009-09-27T19:08:41.725-04:00Travel Log #12 Copenhagen<strong>Sunday, June 28, 2009</strong><br /><br />After a big hearty breakfast, courtesy of the hotel, we had the whole day free to do as we please. This is the last full day here in Europe and we decided to do some serious souvenir shopping.<br />The first thing we noticed is that a lot of young people are wearing black T-shirts with the words <em>Michael Forever</em> printed in white. We assumed this meant that Michael Jackson had met his demise and it turned out to be the case.<br />We stopped at an open air flea market nearby and then went shopping downtown.<br />There were a lot of high school graduates riding around in open air trucks everywhere and making noise and being rowdy but all in good fun. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6XoOIMrfLP-iSDAOG-SZboUoxd6JIhKZFgGifB2nVerg6txM9Ilt4ITf5PmaqkUhjCPNaqW8bsOCxZ0x4E3y3QiHwTsprYtOS3CPMXpBUb1GeBndw3McwrtFSOY6D6gGMtvH/s1600-h/P6260238.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 163px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6XoOIMrfLP-iSDAOG-SZboUoxd6JIhKZFgGifB2nVerg6txM9Ilt4ITf5PmaqkUhjCPNaqW8bsOCxZ0x4E3y3QiHwTsprYtOS3CPMXpBUb1GeBndw3McwrtFSOY6D6gGMtvH/s320/P6260238.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386287846600334274" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkp2u502nt4t1LnHceLr026Y9fEXFhiMsbzuKCJbdoEWRieT70vdUVDQnTsN1Ygi0NiKv5fHYSfZIeNKaHfY2ZjE58_1miNs4nLLteuqcI2JfU9oNbsfS0lyGEhO2nRZ4A9my7/s1600-h/R1-47.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 165px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkp2u502nt4t1LnHceLr026Y9fEXFhiMsbzuKCJbdoEWRieT70vdUVDQnTsN1Ygi0NiKv5fHYSfZIeNKaHfY2ZjE58_1miNs4nLLteuqcI2JfU9oNbsfS0lyGEhO2nRZ4A9my7/s320/R1-47.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386287352191060546" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY9_EGQNfdczbbuUlsqqU11HjWedbPnUGuYirWuBzxhYh-qr1sosGV3DIWUufzM-py11l_YOIBiaAlht_QAzQB3WWMBeXeP2Y4UfklBP9fa6YHS3AHKeMX1itXHWzFLTFRyIp/s1600-h/What+is+it.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY9_EGQNfdczbbuUlsqqU11HjWedbPnUGuYirWuBzxhYh-qr1sosGV3DIWUufzM-py11l_YOIBiaAlht_QAzQB3WWMBeXeP2Y4UfklBP9fa6YHS3AHKeMX1itXHWzFLTFRyIp/s320/What+is+it.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386287345414047906" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueWb1_fG52MRIQUqXqIZyjACgXdlrDucVrrOk6eR2X5d3IVXpOcs5zDApNwuDkwtLBsaaGtk5LopuO7yjEH-kfOrG2VR8q0CcV76yVQaZvP6CGNENscj-poS6d9kXKDDeMMBG/s1600-h/Graduates.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueWb1_fG52MRIQUqXqIZyjACgXdlrDucVrrOk6eR2X5d3IVXpOcs5zDApNwuDkwtLBsaaGtk5LopuO7yjEH-kfOrG2VR8q0CcV76yVQaZvP6CGNENscj-poS6d9kXKDDeMMBG/s320/Graduates.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386287342682997554" /></a><br /> <br />In the evening we visited the world famous Tivoli Gardens. It is a very old (the oldest?)continuous amusement/ entertainment/ flower gardens/ light show park situated right in the middle of the city. We ate dinner there (a bit pricey but good food). There were some orchestras and music bands playing at different venues. When it got dark, what seemed like tens of thousands of colored lights came on everywhere. It was very festive, indeed.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsq4pGpdqAOg4R2bBuKKlo0dgZJwBSPYEOfNcG9RhYGMXDVFsJINK8gv4WFxcS2OmlPerjQVQhRqzCmkgoiBUMrHwS2W1u8YwzA5MsGmyBwSkAIntaCdu14LQm4-10m7RwEzR/s1600-h/Tivoli5.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsq4pGpdqAOg4R2bBuKKlo0dgZJwBSPYEOfNcG9RhYGMXDVFsJINK8gv4WFxcS2OmlPerjQVQhRqzCmkgoiBUMrHwS2W1u8YwzA5MsGmyBwSkAIntaCdu14LQm4-10m7RwEzR/s320/Tivoli5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386286661604546578" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFX_D2qN6srsnDtd2TBIFe_sNSVDqPmSsq8k6kAc9ECfnwQ-t5QS4n1GJYToWix6CU1qca8F4fVvgErBYg3giuHJ4CBYyhB9mOza1EGzjCTRxLl2N-WtvGsXA0qEM0YSBP5v_/s1600-h/Tivoli4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFX_D2qN6srsnDtd2TBIFe_sNSVDqPmSsq8k6kAc9ECfnwQ-t5QS4n1GJYToWix6CU1qca8F4fVvgErBYg3giuHJ4CBYyhB9mOza1EGzjCTRxLl2N-WtvGsXA0qEM0YSBP5v_/s320/Tivoli4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386286321589716402" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqf2p1XHtJU4fTKqt5OSW88G7loTQUeyqXbxBV1vTC9ievwyem0Xhmr85TdoInpcuo05cVcW0vVVNUHtHQiRgwF3S1e3TQsjBvVUaFaq7COvOds0pQIneD6tVWGviJo6M81Dj-/s1600-h/Linda+Tivoli.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 314px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqf2p1XHtJU4fTKqt5OSW88G7loTQUeyqXbxBV1vTC9ievwyem0Xhmr85TdoInpcuo05cVcW0vVVNUHtHQiRgwF3S1e3TQsjBvVUaFaq7COvOds0pQIneD6tVWGviJo6M81Dj-/s320/Linda+Tivoli.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386286162240715762" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMkA7tew_X9hMx3MmkrksT4zZX_kGux-S9rx_eownhBjAx2OocA5d9kwhCtDsJpe9PM4wG_zpD0ZNiYMN9DKsEX1Qw-H_9NAK3QeAdknyW85qdD5JkIDegOLyZThxM0TjcKZj/s1600-h/Tivoli.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMkA7tew_X9hMx3MmkrksT4zZX_kGux-S9rx_eownhBjAx2OocA5d9kwhCtDsJpe9PM4wG_zpD0ZNiYMN9DKsEX1Qw-H_9NAK3QeAdknyW85qdD5JkIDegOLyZThxM0TjcKZj/s320/Tivoli.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386286149784011058" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26b_MCZDXTrLd5xQvDT9eiDxEqOIHmlDWY9vn4mQdgjorGyXgbAPXdYtwnI3Uc3KgidMBOLSv-l4k9jXnlSL8cl3OqC4t25ho38YhnNdobLoPByeV8A-Sttx0k5RYuk41v31C/s1600-h/Tivoli2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 252px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26b_MCZDXTrLd5xQvDT9eiDxEqOIHmlDWY9vn4mQdgjorGyXgbAPXdYtwnI3Uc3KgidMBOLSv-l4k9jXnlSL8cl3OqC4t25ho38YhnNdobLoPByeV8A-Sttx0k5RYuk41v31C/s320/Tivoli2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386286132397831474" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7ogBt3FXkp2wI0JvKsEaUCDC8RumhydpcnuvRIksisp3AC3BCw-z2JPiIf5Aovfz3FAsXHtmXBll299PdeUrSgZjPLkonRQ634zjy4QOnCJ6Yw49MWzjqnWr60QglYLeOZbu/s1600-h/Tivoli3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7ogBt3FXkp2wI0JvKsEaUCDC8RumhydpcnuvRIksisp3AC3BCw-z2JPiIf5Aovfz3FAsXHtmXBll299PdeUrSgZjPLkonRQ634zjy4QOnCJ6Yw49MWzjqnWr60QglYLeOZbu/s320/Tivoli3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386285731678997042" /></a>romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-44363795404395725102009-09-27T15:33:00.005-04:002009-09-27T17:51:58.022-04:00Travel Log # 11 Copenhagen<strong>Saturday, June 27, 2009</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3rSyTh5L-yzRnZT1f9s0e1bU0Qwez0JvF9LnHGDkING9cOSLuYjjIvm1ZE73LQ6jlEa7XacH_FKdg0OFB5iAi3uJYEwsbf54g9OrhlUt4P3Jqholkmegjh3hKv5qHmVnmutY/s1600-h/Linda+%26+Viking.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 261px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3rSyTh5L-yzRnZT1f9s0e1bU0Qwez0JvF9LnHGDkING9cOSLuYjjIvm1ZE73LQ6jlEa7XacH_FKdg0OFB5iAi3uJYEwsbf54g9OrhlUt4P3Jqholkmegjh3hKv5qHmVnmutY/s320/Linda+%26+Viking.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386262060220744802" /></a><br />As you can see, Linda met up with a Viking who, fortunately for us, was friendly and did not brandish his broadsword at us. <br /><br />We joined our panoramic city tour at city hall square in the morning and saw all the important sites in and around Copenhagen including Christiansborg Palace, Rosenborg castle and of course, "the Little Mermaid".<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UqzOVJCSRv5SzyZrtjiJaUeUx1NJspbagbETGizIq81wFiSDlDlKCB00Pw9677RRqqwloxeH5XwTWdI5GVtLn2YqLMwNgJhkEXxxorORdayK_6Usor7w2MR57l5WqOiV1RfX/s1600-h/P6260202.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UqzOVJCSRv5SzyZrtjiJaUeUx1NJspbagbETGizIq81wFiSDlDlKCB00Pw9677RRqqwloxeH5XwTWdI5GVtLn2YqLMwNgJhkEXxxorORdayK_6Usor7w2MR57l5WqOiV1RfX/s320/P6260202.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386261838393619154" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiywkU7LqDaL60HtsLp6KWxcT9zzBe517YuXjhNDCURB4NZsK-A_qEHWYttRLSo9RVH553GCNEKNTTzxccW5VRVSV5oKlIUZftvsN3UlDCVEG1vnsZhYW1k_I1eag8Je69As7hc/s1600-h/P6260208.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiywkU7LqDaL60HtsLp6KWxcT9zzBe517YuXjhNDCURB4NZsK-A_qEHWYttRLSo9RVH553GCNEKNTTzxccW5VRVSV5oKlIUZftvsN3UlDCVEG1vnsZhYW1k_I1eag8Je69As7hc/s320/P6260208.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386261832707086178" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbhyphenhyphenhT0X_iBHCpXBP3-oQUGkfInIBdLqZXXK_HqlYkKrB19_o3pUtxbt6MY49uNMfcQElPWBbscU8rdYdBccv-TWyaUnAxd6zFPE_j2l7Mh8KlNiZHtgqqSrJCd2tk4xppw1j/s1600-h/P6260214.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbhyphenhyphenhT0X_iBHCpXBP3-oQUGkfInIBdLqZXXK_HqlYkKrB19_o3pUtxbt6MY49uNMfcQElPWBbscU8rdYdBccv-TWyaUnAxd6zFPE_j2l7Mh8KlNiZHtgqqSrJCd2tk4xppw1j/s320/P6260214.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386261825050877506" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYucYeibDRf9jqc-l65ZS-boSR0yfOBzj7JOgRvRFMbiKlsGEdj3mV_xoMlEGjLCt-D-0aG3bE5BZFmRBN2dW1C5IS1k6npy_J_URhTjMV7StzE9Ty06_HVqilnN0QZQcT198/s1600-h/P6260227.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYucYeibDRf9jqc-l65ZS-boSR0yfOBzj7JOgRvRFMbiKlsGEdj3mV_xoMlEGjLCt-D-0aG3bE5BZFmRBN2dW1C5IS1k6npy_J_URhTjMV7StzE9Ty06_HVqilnN0QZQcT198/s320/P6260227.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386267873047503954" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYUD1Mjsg0C3CitSlgnVGfl6MUI1KvJcZYOgX8WmgH39HhVBsfbydVdTTbIpLQ_hnBpiRmeoRCMIx1MQ4y2vMzkpe6CbhgkP3NER7DhjNyUfh7HJbZ0UhSfbA2UzIFKl4MUCw/s1600-h/Linda+%26+Little+mermaid.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYUD1Mjsg0C3CitSlgnVGfl6MUI1KvJcZYOgX8WmgH39HhVBsfbydVdTTbIpLQ_hnBpiRmeoRCMIx1MQ4y2vMzkpe6CbhgkP3NER7DhjNyUfh7HJbZ0UhSfbA2UzIFKl4MUCw/s320/Linda+%26+Little+mermaid.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386261309481376674" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrR0A9PlghalrSwzcqeC7BZVTQVgfBIic-8zifqb0l9sHEQtsXZ8bUcgqPRHw7YB0QOI50m01C0J2YYwEihLK__6CrT6nEloHWDuzS_MvP3HRGLRbg9UXOa2odtSaPp9GLtdU/s1600-h/P6260240.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrR0A9PlghalrSwzcqeC7BZVTQVgfBIic-8zifqb0l9sHEQtsXZ8bUcgqPRHw7YB0QOI50m01C0J2YYwEihLK__6CrT6nEloHWDuzS_MvP3HRGLRbg9UXOa2odtSaPp9GLtdU/s320/P6260240.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386261302648393714" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCy5bhPnGMnDN04WN31KDtxk9AQ3Hc9hlSL3J-hv8v0nm-iQwKTqQROmnIWeTvg-br1uWa0YPFknLskgIZyO-tgenutrILjNS8MJVDscQrULg-6MwrIKXLa5haTrrfycFW9pX/s1600-h/P6260220.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCy5bhPnGMnDN04WN31KDtxk9AQ3Hc9hlSL3J-hv8v0nm-iQwKTqQROmnIWeTvg-br1uWa0YPFknLskgIZyO-tgenutrILjNS8MJVDscQrULg-6MwrIKXLa5haTrrfycFW9pX/s320/P6260220.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386261291302915874" /></a><br /><br /><br />Later, at 1:30 after lunch, we joined another tour to North Sealand to see the Fredericksborg and Fredensborg castles and also the famous Hamlet (Kronborg) Castle.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1a2UgJWC6Bhncw5O9XnLcOMx8Q-mREjP0DjUTNZqPKN00PJGnjev2DORQKdBZNSMgb_Yoy3xGL9saFhkXrR2WC5cwhrqCLI60THXUiaFrrc0T5hdYsg1YkyeN-VxTeDULnwso/s1600-h/P6260241.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1a2UgJWC6Bhncw5O9XnLcOMx8Q-mREjP0DjUTNZqPKN00PJGnjev2DORQKdBZNSMgb_Yoy3xGL9saFhkXrR2WC5cwhrqCLI60THXUiaFrrc0T5hdYsg1YkyeN-VxTeDULnwso/s320/P6260241.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386260550362299890" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpLxKRFdiSWKhWFs-LzCmA_pFi3RBkMDDcxijf3VphPMdiTGHSAs-3Pl8ozYL-IRQZQ5P_ExehwB2XKnJkM6VWON4I5RS7bQT_Vd5WmRryYQS9L78PnxxECLkDMTaCHZ9BVcl/s1600-h/P6260247.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpLxKRFdiSWKhWFs-LzCmA_pFi3RBkMDDcxijf3VphPMdiTGHSAs-3Pl8ozYL-IRQZQ5P_ExehwB2XKnJkM6VWON4I5RS7bQT_Vd5WmRryYQS9L78PnxxECLkDMTaCHZ9BVcl/s320/P6260247.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386260538438195266" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsBDWoGoC1RuEuFkE1lBvcVWet9xbG55ppu8Fuym7EZGwWMIk2D0Bl2HoXUEFpYi9rSYlyX9Fux_1wVdlLkq2a-9XKj0yskbx5nMnotKasBba6w6WWR5ZZfkAVtIlKyfTmSl6/s1600-h/P6260249.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsBDWoGoC1RuEuFkE1lBvcVWet9xbG55ppu8Fuym7EZGwWMIk2D0Bl2HoXUEFpYi9rSYlyX9Fux_1wVdlLkq2a-9XKj0yskbx5nMnotKasBba6w6WWR5ZZfkAVtIlKyfTmSl6/s320/P6260249.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386260536849680114" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWH0twsklotUBCgy9QltHKkExtEmuRG-BUriRNUw7gGrzpsaw9E4T1JU9KKmTa7QHt2MYvYgIf8XwQxUDYwFNvry-B9nXH1Mcd06ikugNFpzoxpbJ9um9vU5wBBZOaYPCHdLW/s1600-h/P6260252.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWH0twsklotUBCgy9QltHKkExtEmuRG-BUriRNUw7gGrzpsaw9E4T1JU9KKmTa7QHt2MYvYgIf8XwQxUDYwFNvry-B9nXH1Mcd06ikugNFpzoxpbJ9um9vU5wBBZOaYPCHdLW/s320/P6260252.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386259694064846706" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvCx4PxOsrQXW0WCmhDpmqhyVoy-6IuuFHXKFC51K12OkQ20fPc3IGKoC_qY_rwgO6JC6FWfrWaS3VkhNv372tf0szuJLU0i2pyShzeMx6QkqReWS04pB0gDCzANsoPwJf7yd/s1600-h/P6260256.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvCx4PxOsrQXW0WCmhDpmqhyVoy-6IuuFHXKFC51K12OkQ20fPc3IGKoC_qY_rwgO6JC6FWfrWaS3VkhNv372tf0szuJLU0i2pyShzeMx6QkqReWS04pB0gDCzANsoPwJf7yd/s320/P6260256.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386259691472955858" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KgqrQ4pBUKJALv2mC7b6AvkJVyR5Odqy7FOnOGsnyvyMMBLRt8k6shff2UuPzZShifj9n55r3g3XjYxkm-nh88_C755r8Y0nNRxDpzB8b2TGvEA3n-I3HL7_kQsqG8SSFbe1/s1600-h/P6260258.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KgqrQ4pBUKJALv2mC7b6AvkJVyR5Odqy7FOnOGsnyvyMMBLRt8k6shff2UuPzZShifj9n55r3g3XjYxkm-nh88_C755r8Y0nNRxDpzB8b2TGvEA3n-I3HL7_kQsqG8SSFbe1/s320/P6260258.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386259681772145538" /></a>romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-72099208739224629912009-09-27T13:18:00.012-04:002009-09-27T15:33:06.631-04:00Travel Log #10 Hasselt to Brussels to Copenhagen<STRONG>Friday, June 26, 2009</STRONG><br />Since we had to be at the Brussels airport for a flight to Copenhagen at 10 AM and had to turn in our rental there, we had little time to linger in Hasselt. We left early enough but soon ran into rush hour traffic outside Brussels. This caused us a little worry because as we inched along in painstakingly slow traffic we were running out of time fast. After turning in the car at the airport rental office we scurried to our gate and just made our flight with only minutes to spare. The SAS flight was short and Linda was soon in lively conversation with a young gentleman who was seated next to her. He was Danish but was employed in Brussels and spoke excellent English. He turned out to be a fount of interesting information in reference to Danish customs and the history and character of his countrymen. Since Linda's maiden name is Christensen and her father was Danish, the conversation was non-stop until we landed. We had to exchange Euros and dollars for Danish Kronen and this was quickly done inside the airport. Our driver mentioned that the city hall offices would not be open on the weekend so Linda's ancestry research needed to proceed immediately after our hotel check-in. The Hotel First Vesterbro was centrally located within steps from the Tivoli Gardens and City Hall Plaza. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNbjfl6o1bPaZueTsPNmlriEsvzex6jNqYmr5-Q4qq-KzEsQqunSrxQvRAehw_lF7_Ig_7Sq7bK5M7RTpu9OhxNeM6QplLDoKypTSh5sd4fcmjYRC-ELbRaCUIOIqNBA_m4w2/s1600-h/R1-+3A.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNbjfl6o1bPaZueTsPNmlriEsvzex6jNqYmr5-Q4qq-KzEsQqunSrxQvRAehw_lF7_Ig_7Sq7bK5M7RTpu9OhxNeM6QplLDoKypTSh5sd4fcmjYRC-ELbRaCUIOIqNBA_m4w2/s320/R1-+3A.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386230159228271682" /></a><br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKaGzxXb77muMbTHxhROTsD8p7KresDLDBXhHTC8oHdJ3vU9qFEB7LvO1aR8PSA4WsneuvtnLjjH-z5wtAUTidohxvA4oYaBFkPTb06lEvJUq8nbwuQL_9s4CDpD1VStsHtJz/s1600-h/P6270262.JPG"><IMG style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386226352203196882 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKaGzxXb77muMbTHxhROTsD8p7KresDLDBXhHTC8oHdJ3vU9qFEB7LvO1aR8PSA4WsneuvtnLjjH-z5wtAUTidohxvA4oYaBFkPTb06lEvJUq8nbwuQL_9s4CDpD1VStsHtJz/s200/P6270262.JPG"></A> <br />Linda took off after dropping her luggage and took care of her research at city hall. Judging by the uniforms of some of the guests, the hotel is a favorite of crewmembers employed by some of the world's major airlines. Later in the evening, we strolled into the downtown shopping district and enjoyed a leisurely dinner <EM>al fresco </EM>near City Hall Plaza. It is here that our guided tours will be leaving from tommorow morning. This large open plaza seems to be a gathering place for huge crowds of tourists, mostly young people, who linger and listen to free outdoor music concerts. Short video here...<br /><OBJECT id=BLOG_video-e0568211440e5df5 class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="e0568211440e5df5"></OBJECT>romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-52802380999951409582009-09-26T14:12:00.005-04:002009-09-27T13:18:04.805-04:00Travel Log # 9 Antwerpen,Rotterdam & Amsterdam<strong>Thursday, June 25, 2009</strong><br /><br />We left our hotel in Hasselt early for a day trip in our rental car. The drive took us through Brussels and Antwerpen and into Holland. We encountered a lot of small cars moving very fast on the highways. We also encountered some traffic jams especially near the outer centrums of the large cities. <br />We stopped in Rotterdam and walked into the central downtown shopping area. Sitting outside in the pedestrian plaza, we enjoyed a good-sized American-style cup of coffee while conversing with a couple of young 20 somethings locals. It was warm and sunny and even the locals were surprised at how pleasant the weather was. There was a large food wagon in the middle of the square that sold french fries in paper cones. I had not seen this since leaving Belgium back when I was just a boy. I asked the two locals where the old historical part of city was and they replied there was none. They then went on to explain that during WWII, the German Luftwaffe bombed this strategic port city day in and day out until there was nothing left standing. Hence, Rotterdam had to be rebuilt from scratch.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jS1rweLZqppiCSCAk9YYgAzWz5ENANJnE2X5ZGsoHJKVhn9EHR-eAv3D7AsrK9YddZ29_kavdrpLcWKd7zpa3ODsLXVsqfM02RZ_2e33yw-ZDFPtQn-Uj_3zq8zlXoV5-_Np/s1600-h/Rotterdam2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 304px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jS1rweLZqppiCSCAk9YYgAzWz5ENANJnE2X5ZGsoHJKVhn9EHR-eAv3D7AsrK9YddZ29_kavdrpLcWKd7zpa3ODsLXVsqfM02RZ_2e33yw-ZDFPtQn-Uj_3zq8zlXoV5-_Np/s320/Rotterdam2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385861607179918946" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB7q6jODEaE5KwRbTEjBIY7Yzq-dNIqdx_BXe2-UH3ZDF6m_WdxIMNLQW8z6AwahNiSb6S37scDQG57o08nXhrl6_GX242IJjA44QovyuFhDQHDW97_qKP9f2G2y9Swxk7UE6R/s1600-h/Rotterdam.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB7q6jODEaE5KwRbTEjBIY7Yzq-dNIqdx_BXe2-UH3ZDF6m_WdxIMNLQW8z6AwahNiSb6S37scDQG57o08nXhrl6_GX242IJjA44QovyuFhDQHDW97_qKP9f2G2y9Swxk7UE6R/s320/Rotterdam.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385861596083660082" /></a><br />After a short stay, we drove further up the coast and made it to Amsterdam in about an hour and a half. Amsterdam is not a car-friendly city as there are few places to park in the heart of the city. Bicycles rule! The majority of the inhabitants we saw were young and the scene resembled that of a university town.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ieoKWJgp233r_FluAPRevZVidThCPsIb6GFkuRjywunYg5qfgImx5ii9AeEBSRCdUTcCVipbxRL4_QES_y_8F5UE1u1hTVIFkJoqJG4V8ccw9MMKvmTqjfg3s8DVtPjcFpHK/s1600-h/R1-25A.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ieoKWJgp233r_FluAPRevZVidThCPsIb6GFkuRjywunYg5qfgImx5ii9AeEBSRCdUTcCVipbxRL4_QES_y_8F5UE1u1hTVIFkJoqJG4V8ccw9MMKvmTqjfg3s8DVtPjcFpHK/s320/R1-25A.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385861156714625442" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyDlKJqpB4ZnfLPNUKcFYFMEQDGdYVIidg5rZcdLTxaSww8Ncz4TeKgLwZY9pa1CSEdkjWJZ8zW_7VT5KTFXjdv0oWw5bf3LZa0F2411cPddVGFXZ3XIxmT_vKujbBSaPrsfY/s1600-h/Amsterdan3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyDlKJqpB4ZnfLPNUKcFYFMEQDGdYVIidg5rZcdLTxaSww8Ncz4TeKgLwZY9pa1CSEdkjWJZ8zW_7VT5KTFXjdv0oWw5bf3LZa0F2411cPddVGFXZ3XIxmT_vKujbBSaPrsfY/s320/Amsterdan3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385861146957407954" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdS2xcwnQBIbBHvgeU9WwMbgMkP9GFBQaj5Uw3eQWxGy3GWr963dBovq3pnsnRln1eo2rYH10AcP1buj5DNoraOQ8VcfHubWVdrSydfWiBOFHGlCp5zhrrHFaQFZpaIFHfFWq8/s1600-h/Amsterdam5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdS2xcwnQBIbBHvgeU9WwMbgMkP9GFBQaj5Uw3eQWxGy3GWr963dBovq3pnsnRln1eo2rYH10AcP1buj5DNoraOQ8VcfHubWVdrSydfWiBOFHGlCp5zhrrHFaQFZpaIFHfFWq8/s320/Amsterdam5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385861142380840706" /></a><br /><br />We finally parked the car in the outlying business section and walked about but we were too far away to get to the historic city center. After a momentary scare, we did finally find our way back to our car and decided just to tour the city from our car as it was getting late and we had a long drive back to Hasselt. As usual, we wished we had more time to explore this beautiful old city.<br />The drive back was long and we stopped at a roadside restaurant in Nederweert just north of the Belgian border. The food was good and plentiful and reasonably priced.<br />We got back late and exhausted.romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17868404.post-61656572543846738532009-09-24T17:30:00.012-04:002009-09-26T14:11:21.278-04:00Travel Log #8 Genk, Waterschei & Gelieren<strong>Wednesday, June 24, 2009</strong><br /><br />Well, I'm finally back where it all started for me so many years ago. The two places where, as a young boy, I developed an awareness of the world around me.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUsWLMKYgQH4ZH95mzPxmeQDCoiEG327MWGWQEaMcW7-tN9vjiXwox8tXQjx7BPARN9Fo2iA1uUqBbgI5I3dkvCEkNPcfPfDDjJleB_o2piBgbw2vl4YDgR-fW3QK43YfXdQ8/s1600-h/R1-35A.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUsWLMKYgQH4ZH95mzPxmeQDCoiEG327MWGWQEaMcW7-tN9vjiXwox8tXQjx7BPARN9Fo2iA1uUqBbgI5I3dkvCEkNPcfPfDDjJleB_o2piBgbw2vl4YDgR-fW3QK43YfXdQ8/s320/R1-35A.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385835183923126722" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSWUEwT6qFDLXZbZivj44qHqUnz_LnU5VceqMQ4to1iQ827vyT5IvRYC0pt6NBBnLm3zjQhXZJQ7SH8W65NFwS6b6Fhmf3-pw3K7ItrO-1_yM33wY_hALF8-E3kpVKXUBUsFh/s1600-h/Coal+Mine.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSWUEwT6qFDLXZbZivj44qHqUnz_LnU5VceqMQ4to1iQ827vyT5IvRYC0pt6NBBnLm3zjQhXZJQ7SH8W65NFwS6b6Fhmf3-pw3K7ItrO-1_yM33wY_hALF8-E3kpVKXUBUsFh/s320/Coal+Mine.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385835176910426194" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCtQQJQYiuQSpHzDi32sVPoiL-pQ8tbLmNFuhjTRvJjV5cmclQjTDX1IyAYauiniy3wYsXpcwEJM1aOuMJCnHJZGq7InmdQoZVPay6LY02Dvh43c7a4jwB9Q7gErsyWK55pDj/s1600-h/Fazantstraat+%231.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCtQQJQYiuQSpHzDi32sVPoiL-pQ8tbLmNFuhjTRvJjV5cmclQjTDX1IyAYauiniy3wYsXpcwEJM1aOuMJCnHJZGq7InmdQoZVPay6LY02Dvh43c7a4jwB9Q7gErsyWK55pDj/s320/Fazantstraat+%231.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385835173037850562" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbGyuGHeiIN6GtDmY9wld9a10nkJEUTjY1IvCHcNbsnFk2YnHcgOlFsNCoKJxFUUrwqFLwTXj00EtrZj_6tArIYvFeix9NtqGnBYcfQQLieuaT7xM32q8pDKuldhVb-6H1qR9/s1600-h/P6230175.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbGyuGHeiIN6GtDmY9wld9a10nkJEUTjY1IvCHcNbsnFk2YnHcgOlFsNCoKJxFUUrwqFLwTXj00EtrZj_6tArIYvFeix9NtqGnBYcfQQLieuaT7xM32q8pDKuldhVb-6H1qR9/s320/P6230175.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385833619653073074" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzaU0ZOdoWepZK8yyKbpMSxJlzPNWebVuWOTfL3F5dz-ysk_MK16_SaLDIWyJmagzGej54U_CelM87P684B1VYY7z_V5HnT15PxYIm7qkkiGVguoWPjIT8-OAY6An47VyJZI1/s1600-h/P6230171.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzaU0ZOdoWepZK8yyKbpMSxJlzPNWebVuWOTfL3F5dz-ysk_MK16_SaLDIWyJmagzGej54U_CelM87P684B1VYY7z_V5HnT15PxYIm7qkkiGVguoWPjIT8-OAY6An47VyJZI1/s320/P6230171.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385833631312430098" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiR1WbRwkji4sMmolpUrioKhFrPu9J0UIyb0lPIbr6gRaANip7Ldi29NFwkVxUQDTtsY4x0UteNbDmXWxU97uN5DDB8KhtQnT_zJGOzqErkQhGIx8XgiTWzVJ_LSmdavYeKYW/s1600-h/P6230169.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiR1WbRwkji4sMmolpUrioKhFrPu9J0UIyb0lPIbr6gRaANip7Ldi29NFwkVxUQDTtsY4x0UteNbDmXWxU97uN5DDB8KhtQnT_zJGOzqErkQhGIx8XgiTWzVJ_LSmdavYeKYW/s320/P6230169.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385833612320888034" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK096beLPJzS2i2yVzkMTCnMh8kfR20jw8djW_iF0E05BWDOZObpAXa-zgKZvZXB5zrE8O6DtYhk-uplBXvFHnhTFtlpu2FCdGMDuP_afrWuYQCGzyUauzSkvG3_IA4Z7Cx6cV/s1600-h/P6240180.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK096beLPJzS2i2yVzkMTCnMh8kfR20jw8djW_iF0E05BWDOZObpAXa-zgKZvZXB5zrE8O6DtYhk-uplBXvFHnhTFtlpu2FCdGMDuP_afrWuYQCGzyUauzSkvG3_IA4Z7Cx6cV/s320/P6240180.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385834188415196738" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoXc7ZXaW31hHwF2JTA4TBaILdhNTjnJeJi6MBj9AUyIiucQfM8VbjMick84uY5mgx1fCPaJq4WQpdnCQ5FTq6ZgKhsqvm-EnqaPE_aKsppbv-znBpt6QVOptVjRz01Gvtzxw/s1600-h/P6240177.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoXc7ZXaW31hHwF2JTA4TBaILdhNTjnJeJi6MBj9AUyIiucQfM8VbjMick84uY5mgx1fCPaJq4WQpdnCQ5FTq6ZgKhsqvm-EnqaPE_aKsppbv-znBpt6QVOptVjRz01Gvtzxw/s320/P6240177.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385834177505819698" /></a><br />We left Hasselt and drove the short distance to Gelieren but could not locate the old straw-thatched farmhouse my family left behind to emigrate to the USA when I was just ten years old. Everything was different. After spending what seems like hours driving around and studying maps, we simply could not locate the street called Hoogsij in Gelieren. We then decided to regroup and get our bearings back in Genk and to visit my birthplace and first home in Waterschei in a small coal-mining town called Texas. Unfortunately, Texas was gone! I suspected as much since I used Google Earth and saw only the faint outline of the streets but no buildings. All that was left was a gravel parking lot for a large football (soccer) stadium. I stood at the exact spot where the old house once stood on what was once Fazantstraat #1. We parked the rental car and walked through a small section of woods at the far end of Fazantstraat. I remember many happy days at play here as a child. The mountain of coal tilings, the small pond with lilly pads, and the trail through the woods were still there. It was sunny and warm. There were young children swimming and cavorting in the little pond while others were climbing the mountain which now was overgrown at its crown with trees of every variety. The children looked like they were on a school outing because there were three adults and about 30 children of approximately the same age. We spoke to a caretaker and a couple of local hikers who were happy to share some history about the surroundings. We learned that the little coal mining town was dismantled and removed. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9rduTi1NHg7dgq0dh1GKeSjbHLUZlepg_piDHEIFAfCPn8POQmgpKEecJpbELzf0Uk1OIWAcO8iptTCBJnSAe1aLw9d0tvaiX3uiY-htynNI26F6xodRWRLJj-ul9aWFlVsp/s1600-h/P6240181.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9rduTi1NHg7dgq0dh1GKeSjbHLUZlepg_piDHEIFAfCPn8POQmgpKEecJpbELzf0Uk1OIWAcO8iptTCBJnSAe1aLw9d0tvaiX3uiY-htynNI26F6xodRWRLJj-ul9aWFlVsp/s320/P6240181.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385834196629518386" /></a><br /><br />It then was rebuilt as "New Texas' in another location back in the mid-seventies after the coal mines were shut down. After taking a few pieces of coal as mementos from the mountain, we jumped back in the car and made our way to the old railway station on the other side of the stadium. It looked exactly the way I remember it with the same white concrete fence in the picket style and gravel open space in front. We then drove back to downtown Genk where we had lunch in an outside setting and made use of the local laundromat. We then drove back to Gelieren and finally found Hoogsij which is a long winding street. Gelieren is not a town but only a named section of criss-crossing roads. Nothing was familiar. What used to be a very rural area with old farmhouses and wide open fields was now a densely populated street with modern brick homes one after another on both sides. The house that was at the exact number where our old farmhouse stood looked nothing like what I remember. Alas, I guess it is true what they say. <em>You can't go home again.</em> We took some pics at both locations. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Uz9F4Fi43Li4jevRve-7MRRgbPgxDkHSBUipEYTVKG1lwYd44TQjUy2Y_28dhk9aqOeVOsjSUUKUMqUhpI96fh4RR3XiMo3cdf3h6prwOEzgRitFn5-Yp6692UNohyKRW3FJ/s1600-h/P6240185.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Uz9F4Fi43Li4jevRve-7MRRgbPgxDkHSBUipEYTVKG1lwYd44TQjUy2Y_28dhk9aqOeVOsjSUUKUMqUhpI96fh4RR3XiMo3cdf3h6prwOEzgRitFn5-Yp6692UNohyKRW3FJ/s320/P6240185.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385834530675505986" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWekeoOhwm1l4c8luNbRNttZmYO4HA6nKF3YcvZ5aYPZxA0CZkjtz1krVYhWEdAQBXmlfnErEtrbQY5W4LjFh9whz-Bz8pLM6iIFpwARSCOX4qcT3hLI2u6XnwoevxEJEKL-l8/s1600-h/P6240183.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWekeoOhwm1l4c8luNbRNttZmYO4HA6nKF3YcvZ5aYPZxA0CZkjtz1krVYhWEdAQBXmlfnErEtrbQY5W4LjFh9whz-Bz8pLM6iIFpwARSCOX4qcT3hLI2u6XnwoevxEJEKL-l8/s320/P6240183.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385834524268864034" /></a><br /><br />For some years before this visit, it was important to me to make this pilgrimage. It was a kind of longing to justify the happy but vague fragments of youthful remembrances. This was supposed to be the centerpiece of this trip. While driving back to Hasselt, I felt a somewhat melancholy and somber mood. I realized then that this place is just a long-lost and faded memory and occupies a much lower prominence in my mind that it had before the trip. Maybe I felt a little disappointed in that there wasn't much left. I am glad, however, that we came to this place even though it is no longer <em>my</em> place.romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988548647887978919noreply@blogger.com0