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Saturday, March 31, 2018

KEN ASHLEY





KEN ASHLEY

A  TRIBUTE TO A WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING



I am part of a social group of foreign nationals living in and around Pedralba, a pueblo in the Campo north-west of LLiria, Valencia, Spain. We are a group that is always keen to integrate within the Spanish community, and to a large degree we have achieved that, as evidenced by the many Spanish nationals who are impacted as well.

We are all living in the third stage of our lives that is made all the more pleasant in that we get to enjoy the sunshine and the life that is available to us in this part of Spain. However, we are perfectly aware that from time to time we have to draw strength to say goodbye when it is time for one of us to pass. We are now having to draw deep to pay our respect and to express our love for a stalwart who has added so much to our daily lives.

Ken Ashley, a retired fireman, after spending a life in service to others has continued to do that while in retirement. Our Ken was a big man, both in stature and in personality. He lived a responsible life and he was generally thought of as the go-to guy when something needed to get done.

He was possessed of a pleasing singing voice, and together with his guitar he was always there when we needed cheering up. One of the contributions the English language group made to the pueblo was to stage two concerts a year; one at Christmas and one during the summer. The choir was originally led by Nigel, our president at the time and when it became necessary for him to step down Ken took up the baton and did a splendid job.

He could often be seen going walkabout with his friend, Megan, a truly outstanding dog, while wearing his trademark extra large cowboy hat. He was the very image of health and strength and the one person we thought would live forever. However, on Thursday, 29th March he arose from bed and commented to his wife, Heather that he really didn’t feel all that well, and with one gasp he fell down between the bed and the wall, and he was gone.

I like to think that Ken had things to do, people to see, places to go in his next life. I am a staunch believer that what we call death is not the end, but rather simply the moment when we discard our existing body that no longer works as well as it did to exchange it for another new body to start the process all over again. He will think it’s all new, just as he has done every time before when he has lived and “died.” That is possible because our bodies do not have a soul, but rather it is our soul that has a body.

So, Ken, I thank you for everything you did to contribute to my life, and that was much, and I join with everybody else in our group in saluting you for being the wonderful key figure you have been. I have only ever known you to be pleasant and courteous, and I carry with me your mantra: “Hey man, what’s your plan?”

People may ask me how many years did you spend among us in total and I would have to say I have no idea of what your age might have been. My impression is that you were, and will be, “Forever Young!”

KEN ASHLEY, we shall never forget you!

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

The Scandal of the Charities





The world cannot function without the work that charity organisations like The Red Cross, Oxfam, Save the Children, and all the others perform. They are there when disaster strikes and they come to the rescue on a timely basis so they are hardly noticed. Were they not there the void that they would leave would be enormous.

A scandal has blown up surrounding certain sex `practices committed by some of the male volunteers who go into areas of death and destruction and admittedly it looks bad. However, upon examination what really happens and is it all that bad?

If you talk to a man who always has a bag packed for immediate departure from his own comfort zone to fly into places that have been struck by a tsunami, a major hurricane, fire, landslide, etc; a man who has seen too much for one man to see, the story he would tell you has a different look entirely.

Take Haiti for example, a place where he has been a couple of times in response to one crisis after another. When the team arrives they find no roads, no shops, no food, no potable drinking water, no shelter, and no nothing except human beings in dire need of help. They roll up their sleeves and dig in bringing invaluable assistance to all who need it.

First water and food followed immediately by throwing up tents for shelter. They have Doctors without Borders to provide medical help; they help with the burial of bodies in an effort to contain the threat to health.

Meanwhile, you are a woman with children and you have lost all that you had which was not much to begin with. You only have the rags on your back and your children who are entirely dependent on you. The volunteers have provided food and water and shelter for your family, now you are thinking of rebuilding your life. You are blessed with being a woman of some modest charms so you will try and market that to acquire some money from this army of men who have come to help.

It’s not just one woman who has this thought, they all do and when the men are faced with so many women who are so desperate for this type of assistance you almost feel like it’s your duty to perform this type of civic service, and not to do so seems churlish.

For those of us not impacted directly because we are worlds apart from what is happening on the ground in such zones it’s easy to see the moral side as judged by our standards, and we miss the point that it is not our men who do the asking, but rather it is the women who do the offering, which is really begging.

I personally can’t think of anything I would less want to do than to put my own health at risk by joining in such unregulated behaviour. I’m sure that some of the men do reluctantly join in because the money they pay the women is put to good use, and after all they actually beg for this type of help; and some of the men actually look forward to this as a mischievous perk that offsets the discomfort they face when in the field. I’m sure that in so far as they are concerned if they are not allowed to give the women what they need someone else can take their place with the charity.

Volunteering overseas in locations that have been hard hit by weather and natural disasters is not the same thing as serving in one’s homeland even if the same type of calamity has happened. We likely have higher standards to uphold so I think we have to reserve judgement country by country.

It would be a shame if any charity that was doing good and appreciated work should stop functioning because we in the more “civilized” countries spoke too hastily.

Whether the men who do assist such poor women through sex are married or in solid relationships at home that would be betrayed by such actions is another subject for another forum.



Copyright © 2018



Eugene Carmichael






Saturday, March 3, 2018

Too late for America




School shootings

 America is the only civilized, at peace country where you have no reasonable expectation of sending your child to school and having the child return home safe and sound without having been shot and killed.

That is a monstrous statement to make, especially as it is true. Only eight weeks and three days have passed and there have been twelve shootings on school grounds.

This is because of one thing: The Gun!

After the obscenity that was Sandy Hook all of America should have seen that the right to bear arms was producing unacceptable results and all guns in private hands should have been voluntarily destroyed. No! The call went out for even more guns and the same old tired excuse that guns don’t kill, people kill was heard yet again. Don’t they yet realize that it is people with guns that kill in mass numbers?  

If I buy a gun and I store it in my house and never touch it then it’s true that the gun will do no harm. However the moment it is removed from its storage space and ammunition inserted into its chamber it becomes a deadly weapon.

The argument is that if everyone was able to carry a concealed weapon then no-one would dare use his because it would assure that person’s destruction. Back in the olden days of The Wild West that’s what they did and apparently it didn’t stop anyone from pulling out his pistol to settle an argument.

The same doctrine covers nuclear armaments where if every country has them no one will dare use their own first as that will bring about Mutually Assured Destruction. That is the MAD doctrine and that too will fail leading to our ultimate destruction.

The stage is set. When everybody is carrying a concealed gun a suicide terrorist or terrorists will attend a Super Bowl game and they will start shooting. Ever notice how quickly people can get involved in a riot? That’s what will happen and a whole stadium will be wiped out while the television cameras continue to run.

After that, who knows?

It’s too late for America. The rest of the world can see it, I’m sorry that America cannot.

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael

Saturday, February 24, 2018

HASHTAG:YOUTOO




Consent: To be in full agreement.

Rape: Against his or her own free will.

Why has it taken so long for humanity to reach the place at which we now find ourselves? Perhaps as long as there have been people of power and wealth there has been people who have been taken advantage of.

 It seems to be a flaw in the personality of human beings to inflict ourselves upon others, whether in race, religion, politics or gender. Although present across all walks of life the most obvious industry has been the entertainment professions because there has been so much to gain. So, you want to be an actress, come and sit with me on The Casting Couch and let us discuss it.

 Finally, Rose McGowan, an aspiring actress with enough Chutzpah has said to her tormentor, No! Basta Ya! Enough already! I’m sick and tired of this treatment and I’m not going to take it anymore.

 And now we are at a place where everything has to change, is changing and will change.

Rich, powerful and famous have only to simply be accused and no-one has yet even gone to court, but they have been absolutely destroyed in the court of public opinion!

What does this mean? I’m speaking to all men everywhere:

It means that it is not alright to demean women in the street or anywhere as a joke. It never was.

 The word No deliberately has two letters and one syllable, so what’s not to understand?

 Women, If you mean maybe that’s what you have to say.  If you say no, we cannot and will not read your minds.

Men, when we hear the word no we must stop what we are doing and step back. Even a prostitute has the right to say No! Stop!

 It's all about respect for the other person's dignity.

I respect your mother as you respect my mother.
I respect your sister as you respect my sister.
I respect your daughter as you respect my daughter.

"Until we are all free we are none of us free!" Quotation by Emma Lazarus.

Copyright (c) 2018
Eugene Carmichael


Saturday, February 17, 2018

Natural Justice





Life in the jungles of Africa is hard. It is a constant struggle for man and beast to find food and drink every day, and things like comfort and dignity are luxuries. Man considers he is at the top of the food chain therefore animals are there for the purposes of serving him.

Animals are hunted and slaughtered for their skins and their meat; such has been the tradition since the coming of First Man. The first instinct of mankind is to obtain protein from animals, and so it has been that the majority of humankind exists from the sacrifice of the animals.

Where the biggest problem arises, other than for vegetarians, is that poachers have no respect for animals that do not serve them for food. They will stalk elephants and other prey to take such things as tusks and horns which he sells for a fortune to him, but to us is a mere pittance. Of course it’s easy for us to condemn him as we have jobs and careers and pensions, but he has only hunger.

In the process lives are lost by the Park Rangers whose job it is to protect the livestock, but the poacher comes armed and very dangerous and will kill any human he finds in his way to win the prize that will feed his family and perhaps give them some little comfort. The poacher is Public Enemy Number One in those societies so it is no surprise that they get no sympathy when things go wrong for them.

A recent headline tells the story of at least one poacher who met his match in a pride of hungry lions. They dished out revenge for all that he had done to harm animals, and for the sins of his compatriots. They killed him and sat down to dinner. All that was left of him was his head. They left that because it was even too disgusting for them.

Every now and again in the wilds of Africa Natural Justice is done, perhaps more so than we imagine.

Call it the Circle of Karma, for what goes around, comes around.

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael


Saturday, February 10, 2018

Jealousy




Jealousy is a perfectly normal emotion. We have something that is ours we guard it and we are jealous if we see someone else who is envious. It turns us into a protective force as if we were a bear with young cubs that it feels it has to protect.

That’s when an otherwise tranquil person or animal becomes a major threat. When we are young and insecure our first girlfriend is the worst because we are so proud and happy that she finds us to be attractive enough to have chosen us. If another man looks at her in that way we want to tear his head off.

It’s only as we grow and become more secure and confident within ourselves that we learn that yes, other men will naturally be attracted to our lady for the same reasons we are. Most guys will see that you and she are an item and they will respect that. There are others who will challenge you to be able to hold onto her and they will flirt.

After you have seen her put them in their place with a good telling off that left them thoroughly embarrassed you learn to relax. You grow out of your concerns and jealousy moves to the back of the bus. When you are in your active jealous stage you are a real pain in the ass to your significant other and to everybody around you.

There is a young woman living in my village who is in her prime. Everything about her is perfection. She is amazingly beautiful; she carries herself with pride and grace, she is friendly and warm with a kind word for everyone. She must be the most desired woman for miles and miles around. Most men wouldn’t know what to do with her, and because she gives the impression she is unattainable most guys don’t even try.

At least one guy did try and much to his surprise she invited him in and now they are the most talked about item in town. He is Mr. Luck Pot!

He is not handling his good fortune well at all. In fact he has turned into a first class ass. He is smothering the girl, insisting on being with her everywhere she goes and even hanging out at her job, watching her every move.

Before he came into the picture she was the most popular girl in the community. Everyone had a word with her; we were all her friends. Now all the guys stay well away from her for fear of stirring up trouble. To make matters worse he is a big burly guy and looks as though he wouldn’t think twice about ripping my head off and sticking it down my neck. He is absolutely dangerous.

Obviously he is bad news for her but how does she get out from under this crazy man? This is not going to end well at all. What a crying shame.

Stay tuned!

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael

Saturday, February 3, 2018

The Importance of Communication





The dictionary description of communication is: “The imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing or using some other medium.”

How deceptively simple that sounds when put into practise. In terms of the importance of communication skills I rate it second only to that collective group of elements that give all creatures life.

Had all people been created speaking one language and sharing the same culture life would be so much simpler. However that would have been a life without challenge so we have been given the task of succeeding at whatever we choose to do in spite of our differences.

Even among people of the same language and culture the skill of communicating effectively and efficiently seems among the missing gifts of life. We must learn the skills and develop them and keep them alive.

Communication problems start in the home, first between brothers. These are people of the same blood and gender who have the best chances of understanding each other, as does their sisters. Yet they are constantly fighting each other over misunderstandings. What chance have their mother and father, a man and a woman who as we know come from different worlds,

So far we haven’t even left the four walls of the home and already the war is raging. It only intensifies when politics and religion are introduced. Then when we introduce someone from outside the home, such as an intimate friend of the boy or girl we really begin to stir things up.

Thus far the home serves as a microcosm of society in general except that it hasn’t introduced into the mix the foreign tongue and culture unless that came in with the lovers of the children.

For adults and children we try to make ourselves understood.  What do we need? How should we ask for it so that you completely understand? Sometimes I actually know what I mean, but how are you supposed to understand me if I am not even clear to myself?

The plot thickens very fast when we try communication across languages and cultures. However, communication can also be tremendously funny when we want to be.

Here are some famous examples:

“Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.” Anonymous

“I find I scream the same way whether I`m about to be devoured by a Great White, or a piece of seaweed touches my foot.” – Kevin James

“Throwing acid is wrong, in some people’s eyes.”- Jimmy Carr

“If at first you don’t succeed read the manual.” Montgomery’s Law

“The first draft of anything is shit-“Ernst Hemingway

And finally this real gem from George Carlin:

“Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?”

Ah yes, communications. Ain’t it grand?



Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael


Saturday, January 27, 2018

Dr Willam Henry Cosby, Jr.


An unforgiven man


William Henry Cosby, Jr. is a most extraordinary black man. He is an American professional comedian and so much more. Born in 1937 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania he discovered he has an intense sense of comedy which he used to make the world laugh so uncontrollably that we wet ourselves, and he did that without once using a swear word.

Once I was driving while listening to the radio and an album of his was playing. I had to pull the car over to the side of the road because I could not drive and weep with laughter at the same time.

This was at a time when America’s civil rights struggles were in full swing as blacks were struggling for respect. Bill Cosby contributed to that struggle by going back to school and working for his doctorate in education thus earning the title, Dr. Bill Cosby, Jr. Now, not only was he an accomplished comedian he held a title no other comedian had.

He continued to build his brand by constructing entertainment vehicles that raised the recognition of blacks in a country that often were so blinkered as to not recognize that blacks were people too. He got to the point where The Bill Cosby Show was the top rated show in America for five continuous years; a show about a black family in America. He made a lot of money.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes he was quietly a major financial contributor to institutions of learning, especially black schools. He was convinced that education was the key to lifting up our racial group, and he put his money where his mouth was. On the face of things Bill Cosby was the perfect man for the times in which we lived. I stood a little straighter and pushed my chest out a little farther because Bill was running offense for our people.

When we look at his achievements and his Honorary Degrees it was apparent that everybody was just so proud to be associated with this great man. He received a record number of 57 Honorary Degrees for things like Doctor of Laws, Fine Arts, Humane Letters, Music, etc.

His was the biggest and most powerful name in show business and education. He was the most respected man in America and around the world. He could do no wrong.

First came a single accusation, like a tear drop, and then a little trickle, and then a flood of accusations alleging rape, drug facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, and child sexual abuse.

The world stood still and forgot to breathe. Approximately sixty women had come forward to say these things had happened but they said nothing at the time because he was who he was and they were sure they would not be believed.

I could not process the information and nor could I believe it. It just wouldn’t sink in. This simply could not be. My shield was the question: “Why now?” Bill has had a day in court which resulted in a hung jury, so at this point he has not been found guilty of anything other than having been a most generous contributor to good things, and of making me laugh so hard I pulled over into the emergency breakdown lane.  He will return to court this Spring.

For a very long time I was so angry with Bill Cosby that I would not even think his name. I’m thinking about him today because he was just the tip of the rich, famous and entitled men who so thoroughly have humiliated me as a male through their alleged actions.

None of the long list of accused has been found guilty by a court as yet except Dr Larry Nassar who has been sentenced to 235 years in prison, but the hostility is so great no-one has the patience to wait for court outcomes. Many of those accused, like Bill have been tremendous benefactors making life so much better for many people, but in a mere blink of an eye they have fallen from grace like the leaf of a tree branch in Autumn. There they lie to be trod upon and forgotten.

What an unforgiving world we live in. We must conduct ourselves accordingly.

Copyright (c) 2018
Eugene Carmichael

Saturday, January 20, 2018

A Case of mistaken Assumption




This week I drove into a service station to gas up and was met by a lovely young woman assistant who was bright and cheerful in her tone and quite helpful. “How may I help you?” she wanted to know.

I drive a vintage Jaguar Sovereign saloon car that is a classic, and which was looking its best. It had been washed and sparkled in the bright sunshine.

Meanwhile another car pulled up to the opposite side of the pump and two men got out. She approached them with a voice that was flat, neither friendly nor unfriendly. She was all business.

“What would you like?, she asked. These guys were driving in a vintage family car that showed signs of its age and the guys were dressed in work clothes that reflected that they were hard workers. Meanwhile I was dressed to reflect the fact that I am a retired person. She therefore probably thought that the guys were orange pickers and that I was a man of leisure who wore after shave lotion that smelled like money. (Ha! Ha!)

In fact I had been picking oranges from my own trees for my immediate use and Lord knows I don’t have any money. For all we know the two of those guys might have a ton of money hoarded away instead of spending it on a brand new top of the range car.

Otherwise those guys and I have the same thing in common: we are all black men.

It is so easy to come to the wrong conclusion when faced with certain images. The mistake is called judging the book by its cover, something advertising people work hard in directing us to do, over and over again.

It’s all a case of mistaken assumptions, but as long as that doesn’t lead to harmful consequences it’s just life in action.

Copyright © 2018-01-20

Eugene Carmichael

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Who are we when we retire?




General Colin Powell, Former Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. military command once said, “If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.” On the day he retired from that position he told how there was much pomp and circumstance with marching bands and troops after which he was taken by his driver in his usual chauffeured car to his home. The car dropped him and drove off and he entered his house as husband and dad. It was all over. The excitement and respect of being the toast of the town was behind him, and now he was simple toast!

Retirement, for this reason is not what it is all cracked up to be. Whatever we have worked at in our professional lives has kept us busy and defined who we are. The busier we were and the more critical the position we held the more fulfilled we were. When all that suddenly stops it’s as though the ground opened up from under us.

My card reads under my name for description of who I am, “Consultant.” In my retirement function I was an accountant/and account manager in that I managed as many as seventeen reinsurance companies. Now I am a consultant. People who receive my card ask what is my speciality?. At first I had to answer, I consult with whoever has a question I can answer. Later I came to make myself useful for new families who had moved to Spain, guiding them away from making expensive mistakes. That is the point entirely; to make ourselves useful by employing our experience to be of service.

For the retiree to suddenly move from big shot to nothing is a major shock. He no longer has to wear a necktie or a suit. He moves about and is all but invisible. Conventional wisdom has it that in this state he will surely drop dead within five years of being nobody, unless he worries about it. Should he worry he will drop dead in three years.

Men and women need not stop at retirement, but rather we need to simply change gears. Perhaps we might change to doing something we like rather than the money earner as before. Above all we must keep our brains alive and active. Some things in life must be constantly used or we lose them.

Everyone who lives long enough to retire has a lifetime of experience to draw on and those who are younger than us would benefit from our collected knowledge. Therefore, rather than facing a period in our lives towards the end when we become nothing, just sitting around waiting for death to take us, let’s keep busy in any way we can, especially by keeping our minds busy.

Hint: Revisit your life and write about it to provide your family with a historical record. We have all lived through a period of constant change. If like me you came on the scene around the beginning of the Second World War, we have lived through that horrible period and then into a period of peace and renewal and into the beginning of the computer age, which is when rapid change began.

When presidents or kings and queens retire they turn their attention to developing their memoires, so we as individuals might like to do the same. After all, our lives are just as important. By writing about your life you can justifiably call yourself "Author."

Happy writing!

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael






Saturday, January 6, 2018

A Christmas Career




CHRISTMAS 2017 has been and gone, as has Twelfth Night, also known in Spain as Dia de Los Reyes Magos. In many countries around the world December 25th is celebrated as the day of the birthday of Jesus. As such it is a Holy Day that is marked by the giving of gifts between those who follow the Christian faith.

The problem with that is the true meaning of Christmas is often forgotten in the commercialising of the season.  However, for children it can be a magical time, especially for the very young who are encouraged to believe in Santa Claus who, as the story goes will reward the child if they have been “good.”

There are many people who fill the role of Santa in making appearances leading up to the Big Day. These roles involve giving of yourself to the children, but as anyone who has dressed up in the costume will tell you what you receive from the children is far more rewarding. In fact it is priceless!

This year I was invited to take the role of Santa, or as he is known here in Spain,” Papa Noel.” In doing so I made history by being the first black man in Spain to play the part. I thought the children would complain that I wasn’t the “true” Santa because I wasn’t the exact image, but no, not even one person objected. There was only one very confused child who asked me if I was one of the Three Kings known as Balthazar. I didn’t know whether she was asking me because she remembered me from having played the role of Balthazar the previous January, or just because I was a black man.

In the event it went extremely well and all the organisers were relieved that the experiment was successful. The Santa concept is not an established Spanish costume, but it is becoming an integral part of the Christmas season. The children have figured out that they stand to receive presents on Christmas Day as well as La Dia de los Reyes Magos.

I had hardly settled down from that good feeling when the invitation came through to reprise my role as Balthazar. I was delighted! Little did I know how long a day it would turn out to be. The routine involves riding in the float and waving to all and sundry. Once we reach our destination we alight and take up a position on the stage where we receive the children to whom we give gifts.

All throughout the night the adults are referring to you as “Su Majestad”, your majesty, and everyone pays respectful deference to you. That I could easily get used to! You appear in a trillion snapshots. The town in which I appeared was Rocafort with approximately 7,000 residents. It seemed to me that 6,000 were children.

This year the process of the gift giving was much better organised and the time passed quickly. I thought that was it, but no, that was just the beginning because they added an element. Certain families had asked that the Three Kings come and visit their houses as a surprise to their children. For the next two hours we were in and out of about a dozen houses leaving in our trail a string of stunned and very happy children who will never forget.

So, it seems that I have a new career based around the happiest time of year. I cannot describe my feelings throughout both the Santa Claus and the Balthazar experiences because the human vocabulary has yet to invent those words. Suffice it to say that during the events I was alert and truly happy and privileged to grow weary, but when they were over I slept better than at any other time.

So, Happy New Year to you all! May you experience good health, prosperity and happiness!

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael