Health Care in The United States of America

Finally, A Health Care Plan for The United States of America!

I have been watching the long and drawn out process in The United States as they have tried to work toward a health care system that they could be proud of. I have been asking myself just how do you call yourself the greatest country in the world, and yet your citizens are dying because they cannot get full cover health insurance; or the health insurance they do have has so many exclusions as to be useless?

Why has that situation gone for such a long time without the government having done something to rectify it? Both Democratic and Republican Presidents have looked at the problem, sniffed around it; some have made an attempt to have a go at fixing the problem, but the present President Obama committed his party to getting the job done.

On Tuesday, the 23rd March, 2010, history was made as The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 2010 was signed into law by President Obama. Now, everyone in the United States, except illegal immigrants will have access to life saving health care. (This was also my daughter’s birthday, so a very appropriate day for such an important event.)

I would say Well Done America, except that would not be true when the entire Republican Party voted against the Bill. I am unable to say that they all believed it was a bad Bill, but this we do know for certain: It was a Democratic initiative, not a Republican one, and that’s the whole problem with the American system of politics. Party politics wherever practised puts party before country, and far too often the country suffers.

America! It was absolutely disgraceful and an abomination that you couldn’t have done the right thing and put in place a National Health Plan sooner so that annually, 100,000 citizens might not have died due to a lack of medical care. It didn’t have to be a perfect plan, but it had to be a useful program that would act as a lifeline for those in need.

Finally, a giant step forward has been taken, and all American residents will benefit. It is a great legacy for President Obama, who may yet turn out to be the greatest President of them all. America’s gamble has worked, in that the country chose the best candidate for the job. This is an important strategy for the future that any country should follow.

Congratulations! President Obama. We will now see a knock-on effect as other countries around the world follow your example. It is that important!

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Las Fiestas de la Fallas of Valencia

Las Fiestas de Las Fallas is Valencia. It is everything that Valencia is made of, including passión, religión, danger, fire, explosions, dangerous and very Mad Bulls, art, noise, incredible displays of fireworks, fashions, culture, history, custom, food, drink, dancing, music, colour, and excess, lots of excess.

For anyone who had been hiding under a rock, and who chose to arrive in Valencia by rail during the first three weeks of March, they would be met at the train station by an incredible amount of noise. They might choose not to get off the train as the sounds are similar to that of a war zone. From the first day of March the idea is to make as much noise on a continuous basis as we can so in order to chase away the old man of Winter. It always seems to work because on March 21st Spring officially arrives.

The weather had been so foul leading up to this year’s celebrations, that when the sun came out people joined in with such enthusiasm that we forgot our woes and the crisis. The basis of Fallas is the construction of monuments that tell some form of tale. They may be about local politics or international characters, and they should include something quite rude. Britain’s Royal Family have often been lambasted.

I first heard about this festival wherein monuments were constructed, some costing about as much as a brand new car. They are then planted in cross streets as the presentation of various clubs and associations. Money is raised to complete their presentations, and when the festival comes to an end they are set on fire where they stand. I couldn’t believe what I was being told and so had to see for myself what took place.

Last year we saw a monument that cost 900,000 euros to construct blown up and set on fire. True, it’s not quite the same thing as simply piling up notes to the total value of 900,000 euros and striking a match. That sum represented employment for several artisans for a year, and materials, plus the event itself brings into Valencia more than two million visitors, but still, I can’t help thinking about the poor, the homeless, the hungry who need help.

To describe in any kind of detail all of the things that happen during Fallas would be quite impossible. Fallas is the biggest festival on the Valencian calendar, bigger than America’s Cup; bigger than Formula One, and it is Valencia’s own creation. It truly is one of those things that has to be experienced personally to be believed.

One interesting aspect is that the interior of the city, which is a vast area excludes normal traffic flow, including public transport. People who live within can get accreditation for their vehicles, but getting around is very difficult. Some six hundred streets are cut off which makes moving in a vehicle very difficult, plus pedestrians take over complete streets, so someone behind the wheel of a car has to move at a walking pace. It’s an amazing thing to turn the heart of a city into a temporary pedestrian zone.

On the night of the 19th it is time to burn them all to the ground, and that signals the start of preparing for next year’s event. It is quite something to see the free flow of tears, not just in the young women, but also in grown men who have been closely involved with the project everyday for a year. Watching them burn must be something like cremating your grandmother. Very difficult to accept!

Not surprising, residents who are subject to non-stop noise, and restricted access to their homes take this time of year to go on warm vacations to South America. Who can blame them?

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Sidney Poitier

Sir Sidney Poitier

Sydney Poitier is twelve years my senior, having been born of Bahamian parents on February 27, 1927. Because his parents were in Miami at the time, and his birth was pre-mature he automatically came to hold American citizenship, together with his Bahamian status. On a side note, he is father to five daughters, including one whose name is Sydney Tamia Poitier. I particularly mention this for the avoidance of confusion.

Sidney Poitier’s life is a monument to dignity. He is an actor, director, author and a diplomat. His era was the same as James Earl Jones, and he had to fight a lot of the same unnecessary battles to overcome the odds against succeeding.

His early life was that of an unwanted (by white society) black young man who laboured in the usual list of menial jobs. He grew up on Cat Island Key in the Bahamas and in Nassau until he was 15. I have great empathy with this period in his life. In those days to be such a person you lived without any real ambition. Most people simply focused on what was available in their own neighbourhoods, but at age 15 Sidney was sent back to Miami to live with relatives, and at age 17 he set out to face real life in New York City.

It goes without saying that he would have been sorely tried in that environment. He joined the U.S. Army, probably out of a desperate attempt at survival. In New York he encountered the American Negro Theatre and auditioned and was thought to have promise. However, he spoke like someone from the Islands and had to brush up his vocal act. This was the turning point in his life, and although his career started in fits and starts he was eventually seen by the famous director Daryl F. Zanuck in 1950 who cast him in a starring role in “No Way Out.” He played the role of a black doctor who was confronted with having to save the life of a segregationist. He played the role so superbly that he had to be taken seriously.

That was followed by “Blackboard Jungle” in 1955 that gave him real momentum. However, he was cast to co-star in The Defiant One’s” alongside Robert Mitchum. The problem with this was that Mitchum refused to work alongside a black man, so Mitchum was sacked. That was a truly amazing thing to have happened at that time. His place was taken by Tony Curtis and was a great success.

The details of Sidney’s life is what makes him so interesting. His list of accomplishments read like the history of Hollywood itself. All the while we have to keep in mind the humble beginnings from whence he came. None of the people with whom he associated would have said to him that when he was being honoured by the movers and shakers of the world, that he should remember his roots, because such a possibility would have been absurd.

Looking briefly at his work we see that he has 52 film credits, including many hits. He directed 9 films, and starred in eight Made-for-Television films.

His two most memorable films, in my view are “Guess who’s Coming to Dinner”, and “They Call me MISTER Tibbs!” These films when viewed in today’s world might seem somewhat tame, but at the time they were electrifying to white audiences, and especially to black audiences they were heart-stopping. I also think they were instrumental in moving the civil rights argument ahead by a quantum leap.

In 1974, Sidney Poitier was made a KBE by Queen Elizabeth II. That is to say that he became a Knight Commander of the British Empire. This means that he is entitled to be known as Sir Sidney Poitier, and his wife is Lady Poitier. Neither he or his wife actively use their titles, but under his association with the Bahamas and The Commonwealth, these are legal designations to which they are entitled.

Interestingly, when we watched the very stirring classroom tearjerker in 1996 called “To Sir, With Love”, we had no idea that he was a real and legal “Sir.”

It is my great honour to say that I met Sidney Poitier in London when he was directing “A Warm December.” He actually considered me to audition for a pivotal role as the doctor . I think I have no acting skills, and in light of the fact that he stands for excellence, I thought it best not to even try. Perhaps I was wrong.

Sidney has gathered at least 15 awards or forms of recognition throughout his long and distinguished career, including the Oscar for “Lillies of the Fields,” and in 2009 President Barak Obama bestowed The American “Medal of Freedom” upon him for a life well lived.

Sidney Poitier and James Earl Jones. Two giants of the same entertainment industry of the same era, who could have been competitors, but who worked together for the furtherance of their art, the industry, and for civil rights. Humanity owes these two men so much, but we were entertained while growing up, so we don’t even realise what was accomplished. The American voters learned to vote for the best option without any unnecessary fixed criteria, and that is a wonderful thing for the world at large.

To Sidney Poitier I say “Live Long my friend. Live to see your great granddaughter grow up. Live to enjoy your daughters’ happiness. It is my honour to have met you and to have lived within your era. Live long, Live well, Live happy, and continue to live with dignity. Well Done, Sir!”

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

A Day at the Spa

How to Pamper Yourself

We were going to have a day at the Spa back in October, however I chose to have a day at the hospital instead by having a motor cycle accident. I have learned not to confuse the two in future. Then my wife and I were going to go away in December but I was having therapy everyday, so that got scrubbed. But, Lorna hit upon a great idea. There is an exclusive hotel and spa near to us where we could go on a day pass. Trouble with that is they closed over the Christmas and New Year period. Probably something to do with staff wanting to have holidays so that they could go home to be with family over that period of time, or some other such “trivial” reason.
Then it occurred to Lorna that there is another exclusive spa within distance of home that is used by members of the Valencia Football Club. The manager is someone known to Lorna so we went on a reconnoiter to see what was what. Turns out we were welcome to spend a day there, and we can become members if we so choose. To make matters even better, the facilities were just perfect to help my therapy.
There is a water circuit that consists of several types of treatments. Firstly you have to take a normal shower before entering any of the specialized rooms. We went to the dry saunas where we roasted ourselves, then back to the showers. Then came the cold shower room where you enter a cubicle, and if you really like pain you stood under a bucket that was filled with ice cold water. By pulling a cord the water tipped over you. Assuming you didn't actually pass out you then went back to the normal shower to warm up.
Then came two troughs of water with hard smooth rocks on the bottom. The idea was to walk first along the warm water side and then cross over to the cold side. This treatment should be done five times. As my leg was swollen it was suggested that I do exactly this at home, using first cold and then hot water to try and decrease the swelling.
There was another sauna, this time a wet room where the mist was so dense you could not see your hand. There could have been other people there but unless they coughed or said something their identity would have been safe.
Then we went on to a room where there was a basin that had fine chipped ice that you were supposed to rub over yourself. I rubbed a little on my leg but I was very frugal with those people's ice. They didn't have to refill the tray because of me. Then we could completely immerse ourselves in a small pool of heated water, which was just to my liking, and following that we could get out and go into another small pool of cold water. I considered they were going a little bit too far with this theme by this time.
Then came a big pool with water massage stations and one where the water cascades over your head and shoulders. That was my favorite. I could have stayed there forever, but it was not to be as we had booked the honeymoon treatments, so after an hour and a half of messing about on the water circuit it was time to head to the Honeymoon Suite. It was nice to know that we can go back anytime to repeat the water circuit at 32 euros a time.
The Honeymoon treatment consists of first each of us going to a separate room where we were immersed in a tub of bubbling water. I made sure it was just bubbling and not actually boiling. They then poured in some chocolate to flavor the water. I panicked just then until I remembered that we were in Valencia and not Borneo. I asked whether I could actually drink the water as it smelled so delicious. They said I could, but that I shouldn't try to drink the tub dry.
The tub gave a wonderful massage and was so relaxing that I started to fall asleep. The only thing that stopped me was that I was in a deep dish tub and if I slipped down it would probably feel heavenly, but that is where I would have been headed.
After that was over, and I have to be honest, I didn't want it to end, we were both taken to a single room where two people, one assigned to each of us, gave us the most luxurious all-over body massage using chocolate oil. I thought by now my name was Cad Bury. I have had some pretty good body massages by airport security but this was unlike anything else. When it was over, and I must be honest, I didn't want it to end, (did I say that already?) I explained to my masseur that although I had tried my best I could not scrub all the chocolate off in the shower.
It took him a full minute to realize I had just told him a joke.
We shall return, although in reality no-one deserves to be that pampered.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

JAMES EARL JONES

James Earl Jones, a giant among men!

Over the years I have admired the work of a number of white male actors, especially John Travolta, but this is not about those guys, this is about the two black men whom I revere in their professional lives as actors. One is Sidney Poitier and the other is James Earl Jones. I have a special bond with these men because they are both black, as am I, and we are all about the same age, meaning that we grew up through very difficult civil rights times, and therefore their successes are just that much more meaningful to me.

Sidney Poitier came from a small island in The Bahamas and arrived in America in the thick of oppressive segregation and discrimination. However, he had a dream and through hard work, dogged determination and good luck, and a lot of very good white and black friends, he arrived at the top of his profession with his dignity intact.

Today, I want to think and write about a man who is an absolute giant among men in many ways, James Earl Jones. There are a lot of people born with natural talent. Among them there will always be one or two who stand head and shoulders above the rest. Considering the long shadow that JEJ casts over the entertainment industry it is no real surprise that his life began so modestly.

James Earl Jones was born on January 17th, 1931 in Arkabulta, Mississipi to Ruth (Connolly) Jones, who was a teacher and a maid; and to Robert Earl Jones, an actor, boxer, butler, and chauffeur. He died in 2006. To have been born a black baby in Mississipi in 1931 is to say that he was born into hell in the midst of extreme ignorance.

The first extraordinary thing to know is that the man who would come to posses the most famous voice in the world was effectively mute for eight years of his school life because he stuttered and the children made fun of him. So, he refused to speak outside his home.

Gradually he was coaxed to come out of his shell and he dealt with his speech impairment so that he could realise his dream to follow his father onto the stage. His life must have been a great struggle as society was not on his side. His list of accomplishments, too long to recount in exact detail, is testimony to his strength of character and indomitable spirit.

His film credits in part are:
Roots- played Alex Haley
Conan the Barbarian
Field of Dreams
The Sandlot
Coming to America
Cry, the Beloved Country
The Hunt for Red October
Patriot Games
Clear and Present Danger

Some of his voice-overs:
The Lion King, I and II
Pinocchio and The Emperor of the Night
Several guest spots on The Simpsons
The most awesome three words “This, is CNN!”

Some of his live performances on stage where I can imagine the buildings must have been shaken were:

King Lear
Hamlet
Othello
A MidSummer’s Night’s Dream
Great White Hope.
Measure for Measure
Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

He has a total of 117 screen credits, and along the way his list of awards and nominations is amazing. He has:
Nine Emmy awards or nominations.
Five Golden Globe awards or nominations.
One Independent Spirit nomination.
Two Screen Actors Guild awards or nominations.
Three Tony awards or nominations.
One Commonwealth award.
One Academy Award nomination.

However, James Earl Jones has never been awarded the Oscar, which, in my view discredits the Academy Awards.

More important than all the awards or nominations that he has gathered is the fact that his successes, being as they were so public were inspiring to a person like myself. During most of my years I was being told over and over again that I was a nobody and was incapable of doing anything of significance. Under such circumstances it is very difficult to keep faith in one’s self and to press on regardless. James Earl Jones was always there for me with the message “Yes, We Can.” Added to that a former First Lady said that no-one could make me feel inferior without my permission.

Then came Obama to underscore what we had always believed; but it took people like James Earl Jones to set the stage.

Our journey has been long and troubling. We have lived our three score and ten years and now we are in the coasting stage of our lives. I just thought it was time to say these things about the man when he can still appreciate and smell the roses. It does seem fitting for President Ronald Regan to have chosen James Earl Jone’s birthday as Martin Luther King, Jr Day.

Now, without great fanfare or applause, I say “Thank you James, for holding my hand and being my guide throughout some very difficult times. You’re my Hero!” Long may you live and continue to enjoy the fruits of your labours in good health.”

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

A Tiger’s Apology

A Sombre Moment

It is the afternoon of Friday, the 19th of February, 2010. Tiger Woods has just concluded his apology to the world. When I wrote last on this topic I felt that his indiscretions were a matter only between he and his family. Since then I have concluded that it’s a little more complicated than that. When you’re Tiger Woods you stand large on the world stage and your influence is worldwide.

His former image as a squeaky clean living, erudite person was one that his sponsors could sign up to; the golfing community was able to take pride in his performances; both the black and white community could say he was someone to look up to, and his family could hold their heads up high. But more than all that was the fact that millions of children from around the world saw him as a role model, therefore, it is for his family, his sponsors and their customers and the children who worship him that a heartfelt apology was necessary.

Much has been made of the tightly controlled method whereby he broke his silence. He completely controlled the baying mob of reporters and he got his message across without rude reporters interrupting him. I wholeheartedly support that approach. Anything else would have been an absolute zoo.

In my view he said all that needed to have been said without the necessity of questions. He said that he felt he was entitled to the temptations. His money and fame meant that he didn’t have far to go, and that he didn’t think he had to play by the same rules as everyone else. He now knows different and is working on being a better human being. He and his wife are young people and they are going through the stages of growing up. They will have their share of mistakes to cope with, as do we all.

The one thing I wanted to hear him say was that he acknowledged his position as role model to children, and to apologise to their parents. This he did in a very personal way, and he seems to understand the importance and weight of that. He seems to understand that following his first win of The Master’s Cup parents all over the world got their children to think golf. Children suddenly gained another ambition that they didn’t dare think was possible before, especially black children.

He has gone back into rehab and seems determined to come back a better and more controlled person. He had an easy option and that was to simply let his wife go. They have a pre-nuptial agreement that would have allowed him to end his marriage an go sleep with every one of the women who had something for him He has chosen against that and instead he has decided to take the course that means hard work..

So, I wish him good luck, and I hope that he and his wife can reconcile matters. One thing for very certain is that his wife could not hope for a better husband than the one that is now in development.

One more thing: Thank You Tiger for not having dragged your wife in front of the cameras to further humiliate her.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Interesting Laws

Interesting Laws to Think About

Every jurisdiction has its share of very interesting laws. A bit of research will turn up all sorts of laws, many that are ages old and are strange, to say the least. Trying to determine what made such laws necessary in the first place can be a fun exercise, although chances are that if law makers thought their Bills necessary it was because some one, somewhere was guilty of doing the things that the laws were enacted against.

The Valencia government have just passed a whole raft of new laws that are designed to combat behaviours that we residents have been complaining about for some time. For example:

The law against El Botellón:

A Botellón is an outdoor drinking party where young people congregate with the idea of getting as drunk as they can. If such a party takes place on public property or disturbs the peace of the neighbourhood between 22:00 hours and 8:00 hours, organisers and participants can be fined up to 1,500 euros. Such parties are a real nuisance because they create a great deal of trash, including vomit, and people get in their cars to drive away while being seriously impaired. They are also dangerous from the standpoint of alcohol poisoning.

The Buying and selling of Fake Goods:

There is a flourishing business in knock-off goods in Spain. Usually immigrants are put to work in this trade by suppliers, who remain behind the scenes. The quality of such goods is always suspect, so it is a shame that this is often the only option available to immigrants by which to feed themselves. Personally, I would rather that they did this than break into my home. The fine for such activities is up to 400 euros.

Creating an act of Vandalism by ringing doorbells maliciously in the night.

Apparently, if you live in town you can expect to have (presumably) young people ringing your doorbell while you sleep at night. This is now an offence that has a punishment of up to 750 euros. I don`t suppose that it has occurred to anyone to have an off switch on the bell

Prostitution:

One of the oldest professions in the world is not illegal, as such in Catholic Spain. This country has a very enlightened attitude towards sexual relations. Basically it is felt that everyone should be doing it. That way the stress level can be expected to be lower. However, there have to be rules because the sight of young women loitering at roundabouts in very skimpy attire is to be discouraged. For one thing it’s difficult enough negotiating roundabouts, but add in practically nude girls and we are going to have crashes. That is no good for business.

So, if anyone is caught offering, accepting, negotiating, or arguing over sexual services in the street, you will be attracting a fine between 750 and 3,000 euros.

Sexual Relations

I have saved the best for last, because under this heading the authorities are most concerned about people having sexual relations in the street. Now remember that if there is a law against it, somebody has been behaving inappropriately. The law is quite specific that if two people are seen in the act of having sex, whether in a vehicle or not, they will be subject to a fine of up to 3,000 euros and not less than 750 euros. It will be an aggravating factor if it takes place in sight of homes, schools or businesses.

I just think it incredible that people have been walking along the street and been confronted by couples having sex. The Beatles sang in one of their songs “Why Don’t we do it in the Street?” Has it actually come to that?

The law seems to be silent about a person having sex with himself, but with many thousands of available prostitutes, both male and female, why would you have to?

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

AVATAR

THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD

My wife and I saw Avatar on a Friday, and because we were so impressed we returned to the cinema on the following Tuesday to view it again, this time in 3-D. I am compelled to make some comment about this incredible film, but I must be careful not to spoil your fun. In summary I can say that this film constitutes an Event in the history of cinematography. As the art form has evolved there has been several such Events. No doubt my opinions on the series of such changes will be subject to debate, but those that I can recall are as follows:

First there were the silent films in black and white. The films were always accompanied by very talented pianists, but it was very much a bare bones experience. Several actors owed their success to the fact that there was no sound on, because when the first giant leap took place with the addition of sound some of the actors sounded horrible.

The addition of sound changed the movies for all time. There was no going back, nor would anyone have wanted to turn away from progress. The next big step forward arrived with the technology of colour. We opened our eyes wide in amazement, often because the colour of life on screen was even more glorious than actual every day colour. Sound and colour moved forward in partnership adding big screen technology, 3-D, and SurroundSound to make the experience in the cinema unlike any other.

My next Event came with Steven Spielberg’s “Star Wars”, a fabulous mind bending exercise in fantasy. That film introduced a wonderful cast of new animals and humans. That was followed by another Event in the presentation of the “Matrix” triology, especially the fight sequence on moving vehicles. I watched those scenes several times just because they were so astounding.

Now, we have Avatar. The publicity for it goes as follows: “We enter an alien world through the eyes of Jake Sully, a former Marine confined to a wheelchair. Despite his broken body, Jake is still a warrior at heart. He is recruited to travel light years to the human outpost on Pandora, where corporations are mining a rare mineral that is the key to solving Earth’s energy crisis.”

Considering the film as a whole, that is a phenomenal understatement, if ever there was one. This film takes the art of making films upwards by a giant leap. The impact that it is having on people is simply staggering. It takes storytelling to new levels, and the pictures, imagination, sound, and overall effect is so rich that it is truly stirring.

The second time that we saw it, someone thought to bring their elderly grandmother. She sat in the same row as we did and I made a mental note to watch her reaction. As the film rolled on I completely forgot about her. Remember, I was seeing it for the second time.

There will surely be a making of Avatar, and I will be watching for its release. Meantime, Thank You ! James Cameron for the absolutely super cinematic experience of a lifetime. The promise that Avatar will be a triology is so exciting.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

The Case against the Successful Woman

The Case against the Successful Woman

This is being written by a man, so it’s already a given that my impression will be subject to debate and feedback by women readers. However, it does seem to me that life is a great deal more difficult for the woman executive than it is for men. Some of the challenges are strictly gender based. These present problems that have limited options.

Life is without so many hurdles for men that quite naturally exist for women. First, there is the presumption that business is a man’s world. It is not, but so many people hold the prejudiced view that it is a world where white men have some special divine right to function. When others try to enter all manner of barriers are placed in their way.

This is not to say that if you are a white male you will automatically have a guaranteed smooth ride. You won’t! But banks seem to feel more at ease when the person sitting in front of them is a white male. They don’t have to think about possible pregnancies in the case of a white woman, nor do they have to think about the problems a black male will encounter that are of a special nature. The black female presents a unique set of problems to her banker, yet given a chance the black female can achieve wonders. I only have to say “O” for you to know what I mean.

The constant problem faced by most females is that of her biological clock, and the need to have at least one child in the furtherance of the human race. She can deny this only for so long until the alarm sounds and makes focusing on any thing else very difficult. Most women in high-powered positions have their children early in life or very late in life. In the marketplace they constantly have to weigh the offer of a promotion against the need to start a family.

As men in charge of companies we say we understand the need of the family, just don’t be a female executive of the company who becomes pregnant. Enter the glass (invisible) ceiling that so many women encounter on their march up the corporate ladder.

Then there is the attitude of so many men that is hostile against women who dare to enter what they consider their arena. Consequentially the battle against sexual discrimination in the workplace rages on. This is patently unfair, and far too many men have to be held accountable for their stupidity. It just shouldn’t happen, especially when often the offending person is the very one who should be protecting the workforce.

Life is especially difficult for the young woman who studied hard and acquired a good education. Perhaps she had the children early in life, and as part of her ambition went back to school and reinvented herself for the world of high finance. The problem is she is married to a simple man who is a tradesman. He sees her efforts as being an attempt to pull away from him and out of desperation he tries to sabotage her.

This almost never happens in the case of the man who tries to better himself. His wife can usually be counted on to support him.

In the workplace she might encounter a problem in directing the workforce if there are men involved. She shouldn’t have a problem of this nature and if she gets the type of support from management that she should, it will be a short-lived one. But men never even have to consider this a probability.
Lastly, but certainly not the least of her problems is that she brings sex into the office when she comes, simply because she’s a woman. Hopefully she doesn’t intend to do this, but every man will notice her every day of the week. We notice what she wears, how she smells, how she walks, we notice her jiggly bits, and what she says and how she says things. That is because she’s a woman and we men are absolutely fascinated.

That may all be very well, so long as none of those things are held against her. However, in far too many cases a woman will make the fatal mistake of entering into a romantic relationship with a co-worker. She will almost always be the one to bear the worst of such a mistake. Whether he is a man on her own level, or worse from the higher levels she is best advised to stay well clear.

In short, I imagine that being a woman in business is never easy. What I am unable to imagine is just how hard it can be.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

The Case Against the Successful Man

Business Success has its Price

I feel certain that there must be a great number of happy and successful businessmen in the world who probably have no real problems to complain about. For this I am happy and I wish them all well. However, we are hearing more stories about when things go wrong, and when they do go wrong, because of who the principals are, the results tend to be spectacular.

Joe, The Plumber, and all of his tradesmen colleagues are engaged in honourable work, and if they do their work well and earn good reputations, I’m sure that they are able to generate good incomes that they can use to put their children through higher education, and that they can also use for a comfortable way of life. In many ways they have the perfect situation.

When we move up the ladder to the corporate executive level we begin to enter dangerous waters and our focus can start to waver. For so many years the storyline has involved the executive, his wife and his secretary. Could that be because he is a man who wears the hallmark of success of money and power that either he deliberately uses to impress young women, or that his image is naturally very impressive to females who are attracted as if they are moths to the light?

First I have to admit that we men have met the enemy, and it is us! It seems that once we have power, and money to finance our dreams, women automatically enter into the picture. Beautiful cars and wonderful yachts always have beautiful single babes attached to them. Where are the wives in all of this?

It does amaze me how men (always) get caught out in the silly little games they play, and are astonished to have been found out. If you are a young woman and are proposed to by a successful man, you really do need to ask yourself how will you handle things when the other women come chasing your husband. The one thing that you can be sure of is that they will come a-chasing.

To be a man and to stand strong against your own basic nature must surely be the test of all time. The more rich and famous you are, the more gorgeous the girls will be. It will be they who approach you, and they will be at their very best. We have discovered, perhaps, much to our surprise, that women have agendas and criteria too regarding their sex lives. We have always known that women like to enjoy sex. We have worked hard to ensure that it was good for them too. But women can play “notches on the bedpost” as well as men.

What is really so wrong with a woman being able to reflect over her life and recite a number of rich and famous names who she entertained in her bed? Men don’t do that. For us she only has to move and we’re up for it. But for many women it is important to be discerning. The mere fact that the men are married need not factor in at all.

As a married man, unless your wife has agreed that you can have love relationships with other women, then it is simply wrong and you are not allowed to touch. The minute you do so you are on that slippery slope, and your wife will find out because the girl will tell her. The solution could be the Swinging Scene, but use caution as this is not for the faint of heart.

As a married man, if you insist on having it all, you will come to discover (as so many others before you have done) that you will have to pay out substantial portions of your hard earned wealth to your ex-wife(s). Naturally you won’t mind at all spending this money on your wife and family as an intact unit, but it starts to become burdensome when you are apart.

What you really need to be is a single rock star, playing gigs all round the world. If your music is good your groupies will be waiting for you to keep you warm in the night. Then you have fame, power, money, women, and adulation from both men and women. What more could you ask for? The incredible answer from many of these guys is “someone to love me and to make a home for me.” Why have so many of the top names married when their lives are a buffet of women? Why has Hugh Hefner, the original Playboy married several times? Life really is funny and confusing.

Getting back to Joe, the Plumber, the chances are that the babes will leave him alone to stay focused on the things in life that are important. However, given the kind of money these guys can generate you never can tell.

It’s just a suggestion, but pre-nuptial agreements should perhaps be broadened to include language that says that this agreement allows for me to have other lovers in my life while maintaining a marriage with you. But remember, that can work both ways.


Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Why Haiti?

Why Haiti?

Haití must surely be the most miserable place on the face of the earth. The people of Haiti began life as runaway slaves. There was nothing wrong with that, neither at the time nor in these modern days. They were simply poor, uneducated people who had enough sense to know that to live in bondage was wrong. They simply answered the call for freedom.

Their leaders have either been despicable dictators or ineffectual in leading the country out of poverty and into a modern form of democracy. The thing that Haitians seem to understand best is death, for death is ever present. It is visited upon them by their leaders or by one another. The rest of the Western world have taken a blind eye to Haiti that allowed them to make their mistakes and to stand or fall by their own actions.

Enter Mother Nature. When everyday living is a disaster the last thing you need are the disasters that come from hurricanes. Haiti has never actually fully recovered from the very first massive hurricane because the country gets hit so often and so very hard.

And now it has taken a knock out punch. An earthquake so powerful that was almost off the scale has flattened the country and killed probably more than 100,000 people. It’s just not possible to get one’s mind around that. This could be absolutely the worst thing that ever happened to Haiti, or perhaps it could be the best thing if Western nations hear the wake-up call to stop ignoring the country’s plight and take an active and sustainable interest to bring those people a step closer to the 21st century.

If you dedicate any part of your day to prayer, then please include the people of Haiti in your supplications. They need all the help that they can get.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Opera in Valencia

The Most Famous Opera House in the World: Sydney, Australia

On December 30th, 2009, my wife gave us a rare treat in the form of a night out at the opera in Valencia. It was a very enjoyable evening as “Madame Butterfly” unfolded before us on the stage of the purpose-built Valencia Opera House.

Madame Butterfly is not a mystery so therefore I will not spoil it for anyone if I outline the plot. The story is set in Japan many years ago. The two principal characters are Madame Butterfly, of course, and Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, a navy man.

While on shore leave he meets and falls madly in love with the very young Cio-Cio San, (Madame Butterfly), and against the advice of the U.S. Counsel and all of her family and friends, they marry. He then rejoins his ship and is away for three years. While he is away he fails to maintain contact and he does not know that she has,
(a) delivered them a son, and,
(b) remains steadfastly true to him and desperately in love with him.
(c) Finally, his ship returns to Japan and she looks forward in seeing him again. However, he has a nasty surprise in store in that he has bigamously married an American woman who is there in his company. His new wife asks that she be allowed to take the boy with her to America, and although it is agreed, Madame Butterfly falls on her sword.

I don’t know much about opera but I suspect that one does not exist that has a happy ending. This one is curious in that it makes the Americans the villains of the peace in a very significant manner. And is even more significant given the era in which it was written. I have no idea of how well it is received in America, but around the rest of the world it is a very important and popular work.

It was my very first visit to an opera in Spain. The only other opera that I visited was Lucia di Lammermoor that I saw at the Paris Opera House in1963. I sat in student seats wearing jeans and paid a discount price for my ticket. The Valencia Opera House is truly an imposing building, but not a perfect edifice. I think that they have done well with the space but there are some things that can be criticised. Firstly, it is a building without its own parking.

If you are transported by your driver this is not a problem for you personally. Most people have to save up for such a night out, and we have to drive ourselves. The entrance level is a flight and a half up from street level. Cars can discharge their passengers in a semi-circle temporary stopping place, then we have to climb all those stairs to arrive at the entrance level.

Your car will then have to drive about a full kilometre to get into the parking lot of the science and arts building next door. Then comes a very long walk that takes nearly ten minutes before reaching the stairs to get to the upper level. I was hobbling with my damaged leg and my walking stick. Much to my delighted surprise there was a young man with a wheel chair waiting to offer me a lift. That was a very nice touch, even though I didn’t accept. I should have!



The walkway was very spacious and could be used for parking. The surface is dangerous for ladies walking in high heels as the grouting between the bricks has broken away leaving many holes to be avoided. This is correctable of course, and should be attended to without delay.

Between intense traffic encountered along the way and problems getting parked we arrived at the entrance with two minutes to spare. That was not helped by the fact that once the patron is on the entrance level and begins the walk along the concourse what we are faced with is the back of the building. We have to walk to the other side to reach the entrance.

We sat down with less than two minutes to spare. The program is completely computer-controlled. At precisely eight o’clock the doors are closed and the lights are lowered and the performance begins. I’m very glad I don’t know what happens to you should you arrive one minute late. I’m sure that it happens.

Two other minor comments: the most convenient toilets only serve two or three persons at a time, and in the performance itself I was disappointed that having given us the illusion of water, one of the actors walked upon it. His name was not Jesus.

My observations of the physical design faults should not discourage you from a visit to the opera. It is high theatre, impeccably presented. Madame Butterfly is wonderful. Enjoy!

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

¿Happy New Year?

Warmest Best Wishes for a Happy New Year

At the end of 2007 all who knew me wished me a Happy 2008. As we remember that year was bloody awful in general terms, but for those of us who retained our good health and our economic status, more or less, we can probably admit that we were happy-ish during 2008. As a general comment on that year my final blog was entitled “Goodbye 2008 and Good riddance.”

Then came 2009 and the worldwide misery grew by a quantum leap. We wished family, friends and co-workers a Happy New Year while crossing our fingers. Now, the question is put: did you have a happy-ish 2009?

Spain is absolutely drenched in economic woes. The unemployment rate stands at a staggering near 20% of all adults of working age. Schools continue to graduate students into the workplace where there are no jobs awaiting them. Just when these young people are panting to get started to experience their independence they have nowhere to go. They are all dressed up and everything is shut.

In the United States there are more than sixteen million jobless people, many of whom are seeing their unemployment benefits cease. The loss of homes, cars, private education, and health care benefits are commonplace. There is not much happiness in that scenario. We would have to dig real deep to find anything that we could say qualifies as a happy-ish event. For those families that are still intact, that is something very important to be happy and thankful about. For children whose education has not been interrupted through having been taken out of private school, that is something else for joy.

Losing a family member to death will usually be cause for sadness, even when the event is perfectly normal as in the case of the elderly. However, putting that natural part of the life cycle to one side everybody will have their own take on what the year has meant. Happiness, which most of us have difficulty in defining, needs to be re-defined, and possibly downgraded. We are living through one of the most trying times in the history of the world.

Looking back over 2009 it certainly had its ups and downs. However, for my family and myself, we think that this year has treated us fairly well. We didn’t win the lottery, but we have our health and strength. Our son has been away in Australia finding his own independence, and for the first Christmas we have been apart. My wife and I have discovered each other all over again and we feel more in love than ever. So, in spite of 2009 being the year when the sky fell on the earth we can say that your wishes to us for a Happy 2009 were realised.

It’s time once again to look forward to the New Year, all 365 days of it. For you we firstly wish that you all will have good health. That’s Number One. Following that we hope that 2010 will deliver a steady stream of good news and rising expectations throughout each and every day.

Happy New Year!

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

That Christmas Thing!

The celebration of Christmas in the Christian world is a mandatory thing, or so it seems. It usually incorporates all of the family, whether near or far. If we are too far removed for actual visitations, then Christmas cards are the next best thing. Being a man I usually mail my cards on December 24th, but this year I had them all written and mailed by the middle of November. That was the one positive thing about being at home recuperating with a leg elevated. (I don’t recommend it!)

But Christmas is also the time of year when the suicide rate rises dramatically. Apparently people without families really feel the pressure of being lonesome. Ending it becomes an option worth considering.

I have lived through seventy Christmases and my experience has ranged from having been deeply religious and family driven to a lesser observation as the children have grown. There was a time when a freshly cut tree was essential for decoration, and presents were piled underneath for the daybreak discovery of what Santa Claus had brought me, and then much later for what I, acting as Santa had brought the children.

Now that has all changed with the passing into adulthood of the children who are all away and we are at liberty to greet Christmas with the minimum of exertion. Christmas has lost its magic, and what a shame. No special meal at home, (we went to a restaurant) no midnight church service, nothing particularly special about December 25th at all, except it was a sunny and beautiful day in between bad weather before and after.

However, I deny that we are turning into Mr. And Mrs Scrooge. We fully encourage young families to enjoy the occasion for the reason that it is intended. I particularly like the Spanish tradition of observing the 25th as a Holy Day, with gift giving left to the night of The Three Kings. In other countries gift giving has over taken the religious aspect, so much so that it makes something of a mockery of the whole event.

Looking back over the years there is actually one year that I can point to as my all-time favourite. That was the year when I was a child and my father played the role of Santa by going on the roof and stamping around and making animal noises. The next morning there was evidence that was left to be cleaned up. Us kids became super believers that year. We have never held it against our parents for being the first people in our lives to lie to us.

Season's Greetings everyone!

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Season's Greetings!

Dear Readers,

My Christmas hope for you, your families and your friends is that you have peace, human warmth and Joy at this time of the year. To all of mankind, Christian, Muslim, Jewish and all other Faiths, I wish you all Happy Holidays!

Eugene Carmichael

Women on the Corporate Ladder

Caution! Women Climbing the Corporate Ladder

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr said that “None of us are free until we are all free!” Consequently it is with some joy that I see so many women moving ahead in the workplace. I take no amusement from those who think that certain things in life are solely women’s work, mainly to do with domestic matters. Men are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves and their children. There are no real reasons why women cannot break free from the old stereotype of doing everything in the kitchen. Men make excellent chefs.

I have had a growing uneasiness however, of whether a woman is completely free to soar with the eagles in her ambitions. We tell them that it is their right to be all that they can, and not to let anyone hold them back, but I think that perhaps we are not being all that realistic or fair. Being a woman is certainly not the same thing as being a man. A woman has to cope with a side of her that has its own demands. She has a biological clock that she must pay attention to, and when the children come along the natural instinct is to care for them.

This is not unfair. It cannot be said to be an unfair disadvantage because of what being a mother is. But, it does cause impediments in a commercial career that a man is free from.

As a man I have taken notice of the rise and rise of women in the workplace and in politics, and I have been pleased. Women certainly do at least as good a job as men, and I think most fair-minded people appreciate that it is a far better society when we are all participating.

In those societies where women are making the greatest advances we see problems associated within the period of transition. Some are very serious and involve violence. Others simply involve loneliness for the woman because she is unable to find a suitable man to keep pace with her.

As an example, a woman judge is a special case because judges are in a unique place. For her, a very progressive thinking man will be needed, preferably another judge. Failing that she might well be a very lonely person indeed.

Female doctors are another interesting study, although they are a part of a larger group and are more likely to have contact with other professionals of a like level. However, the pressures of the profession make it difficult to maintain a normal lifestyle and to include having children. It can be done but some part of their lives has to suffer.

The principal problems for a woman who is climbing the ladder to commercial success, other than those of the competition itself, tend to arise within her own personal life. Her male partner and her family can be the wind beneath her wings, or the anchor that holds her firmly on the ground. Consequently, we are seeing more young women staying free of personal relationships, and leaving it to the very last minute to have a baby at about age 36. Even then she may choose to have a sperm donation.

So, if we are agreed that active involvement of women in all parts of our society is vitally important, but that a woman faces hurdles that men are free from, the least that society as a whole can do is to offer empathy and support rather than to place even more barriers in their paths.

It is anyone’s guess how many such women were caught up in the financial crisis. Women who devoted their lives to moving ahead in the corporate world at the expense of a family, only to be tossed out into the sea of unemployed persons to sink or swim. That is so sad it hardly bears thinking about.

There are many successful women who remain at their posts, and who will survive this crisis. They work hard and play by the rules and are entitled to our respect and admiration. If they have a man who cannot accept that fundamental truth, then she has to make the hard decisions to cut him loose to find someone with whom he will be more comfortable.

The real acid test for a man is whether his wife earns as much money, or more than he does, or otherwise enjoys as much success. This is where the male ego gets in the way. It is something that generally men cannot control. We can struggle with it, but it really is more trouble to ourselves than to other people. Again, if this is a hurdle for her, she may have to make another decision that will be a test of her strength.

I try to have empathy for today’s professional woman, and I wish her all the best. Being a pioneer never was a comfortable thing. It all comes down to whether the rewards are worth the risks and hassles of reaching the destination.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Extra! Extra ! Read All About It!

Time for Privacy

The headline read: “Tiger Woods in Admission of Transgression Against Family!” In other words he was purportedly admitting to extra marital affairs.

America is a country where 16 million people have lost their jobs and cannot find more work. The economy is broken, banks have gone bankrupt, and continue to do so. America is fighting two wars that it desperately wants to disengage from, but cannot. The once mighty US Dollar is the poor man of the world. It is on its knees and is being stomped on by other currencies. The future holds possibly another war, with Iran and/or North Korea. America is steadily losing its position as global superpower and world leader.

America has more problems than it can possibly handle, and its people have more personal concerns for their survival today then they can digest. In this context the personal domestic problems of one small family over marital infidelity is simply not news. However, the US media will give more air time and column inches to the private problems of Tiger Woods and his family over the coming days and weeks and months than can be justified.

They will say that the people have a right to know. No! We the people don’t have any such right to know about things of this nature! It is simply no business of the people to know anything about the state of this family’s affairs. The media personalities who write and report on the problems of Tiger Woods, and other such celebrities don’t think the people need to know about their own business, nor should they. This is all about selling newspapers and ratings and pandering to our idle curiosity. Now we are hearing the incredibly stupid suggestion that Tiger Woods must go on The Oprah Show, and Larry King Live to confess all and beg for forgiveness from the nation. That is just about the sickest thing I have ever heard.

I know that other people have done such things. It was sick and stupid then, and it would be in this case.

Given the sheer number of women who would like to entertain this young man in their beds, it would be news if he were not having an affair. So, whether he is alleged to have acted inappropriately with one, or one hundred, my advice to the media is to leave these folks alone to work out their problems. It is an entirely private matter and it is the business of no-one else.

If the media really have to discuss something along these lines it can focus on the root causes that destroys so many marriages. The system is sick, and unfortunately no amount of discussion will make it well, however; when young women come forward claiming that “he promised me the world, and that he would leave his family, etc, etc” we need to boo them off the stage. In all too many cases the guy was a target of a designing woman, and that makes it very hard to stay focused.

Hands up those of you ladies who would like to entertain the president in your bedroom? See what I mean? He is a hard working-man who is keenly trying to do a good job, and you would desperately like to bring him down.

We men are so weak in the hands of women. We work hard and earn money, power and prestige, and we think that our package should contain more than we are permitted. There are some very firm borders that we must recognise, and to cross them is to be responsible for our own downfall. Perhaps there is also a line beyond which it doesn’t make sense to continue to drive ourselves so hard. When is enough, enough?

I wish Tiger Woods and his family all the best. Should his wife decide to leave him, my question is: For whom? I hope they do come to an agreement and he comes to his senses. After I close this I don’t want to hear another word about their private lives.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Rape most Foul !

Rape! Very Serious Business

A recent court case in my native Bermuda concerned a charge of rape that was thoroughly foul. A 22 year-old woman reported that about 8:45 pm one evening she stepped outside her apartment to get her mobile telephone from her car when she was suddenly set upon by two men from behind. They dragged her into her apartment where over 15 minutes they took turns violently raping her.

Her recall was excellent and she gave police a 19- page statement. Police were shocked that there were at large two men who could do such a thing, as though they were wild dogs. They considered this a most heinous crime, and seven officers were dedicated to the case, with support from The Serious Crimes Unit. They were concerned to try and arrest the two perpetrators before they struck again.

Dozens of young men were brought in and had to prove their whereabouts at the time of the crime. This is quite naturally a difficult thing to do. It is not a usual thing for people to keep a minute- by- minute diary of their everyday movements, with proof of where they were. There is also the possibility of unduly prying into one’s private affairs. A person’s activities may not have been illegal, but they may not have been morally correct either, and to have them exposed in this way might at the least be embarrassing.

The police worked strenuously for a full week and were convinced that they had found the two men. A police line-up was arranged and the woman was brought in to see if she could identify her attackers. And that’s when it all came unravelled. There had not been a rape. She had made the entire 19-page drama up, and in the process she has set back the criminal justice system by years.

Her circumstances were that she had a relationship with a young man, but her ex-boyfriend re-entered the picture and she had had rough sex with him. In the process he inflicted bruises and scars that she was unable to explain to her current lover, so she made up the story to cover her tracks.

She “knowingly and deliberately made a false report to police” that resulted in a waste of police man hours that diverted their attention from other serious business. The Court thought that she should pay for that, so they charged her $6,000 to reimburse the police, and they fined her $1,000 for her stupidity. She could also have been sent to prison for six months, which she may still have to do if the fines are not paid.

I’m living outside the country so perhaps the woman’s protection groups have spoken up and condemned her actions, but I cannot find any evidence of this. If they have not done so, then shame on them.

This story is important from a number of fronts, not the least being that when a woman cries rape, it should be only under the most serious and genuine of circumstances. To do otherwise only provides the defence in future cases reasonable doubt. Another reason for this is that I recall another such incident where a wife falsely cried rape, and that took up a lot of time and attention and put the community on edge. At that time I was one of the young men who was hassled to prove what I was doing at the time of the alleged incident, and I came very close to being put behind bars for something I had not done.


Interestingly, I gave a suggestion of what had probably really happened that turned out to be exactly the case. In that event the wife had an affair with a local lad during the Summer nights while her husband worked until 1am. Nearing the end of the tourist season the husband came home early and panicked the two lovers. He fled the house and she screamed rape. Meanwhile, I had attended a movie on my own and was on my way home. Her lover would have crossed my path, either just before me or directly after I had passed the area, thereby putting me squarely in the frame.

Had it not been for the fact that I had worked at that same hotel and knew the system, and therefore was able to surmise what had been happening the outcome might have been very different.

I do not support rape or rapists. In my mind they deserve the full prosecution of the law. Those who falsely claim they have been raped commit another form of the charge by belittling the system. They should at a minimum go to prison.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Heroes

The World needs more Heroes

I listened to a thought-provoking presentation from a colleague at Toastmasters International on the subject of “Heroes” that in essence called for more heroes to help the world get through these awful times. You apparently don’t have to have x-ray vision, nor do you need to fly in any other manner than conventional, but the world needs heroes. He ended with the question: “Would you like to be a hero?”

This topic has stayed with me and caused me much thought. For instance, who or what is a hero? To my mind such a person would turn bad into good, and would epitomize fairness. However, a hero is a very subjective subject. To my horror I saw that the Libyan Lockerbie bomber was received on his arrival home as a hero. The 9/11 hijackers are revered as heroes by some, and so are those people who go out into crowds to blow themselves up, taking as many complete strangers with them as they can.

How can this be? It’s all in the eye of the beholder. It’s all in the faith of the believer.
CNN have been conducting their annual “Hero of the Year Award”. To this end they requested entries from around the world and received more than nine thousand responses. That must have been a very mixed bag indeed that had to be short-listed. They ultimately worked with a list of the top ten, and on America’s Thanksgiving Day the winner was chosen.

We have been seeing the profiles of some of the top ten, and the question that occurs to me is, how was it possible to discard any of the names. The one thing that stands out is that all of the contestants are doing wholesome and good work to aid humanity. The problem in selecting a winner is in the depth of their efforts and the impact that their work is having. However, not one of those nominated wanted the nomination for themselves.

No one can say that he is a hero and actually be authentic. It takes someone else to come to that conclusion. So, I add to the question “Would you like to be a hero?” a follow-on with the question “Do you think that you may be a hero to someone?” I would like to think that my wife might think of me as her hero for something I have done. I hope that my children think of me as their hero for something I may have done to make them proud. In saying that I am also saying that I hope I have lived my life to deserve such respect, and I imagine they may think in similar terms of their own lives.

I turned to the CNN Heroes programme midway through it in time to hear the stories of Brad Blauser, a man who has donated more than 700 wheelchairs to Iraqi children; and of Andrea Ivory, a breast cancer survivor with a smile as bright as the sun who is determined to save the lives of women by having knocked on more than 18,000 doors to get women to have a mammogram.

Then the winner, who was chosen by worldwide voting was announced as Efren Peñaflorida, a young 28-year old man from the Philipines. Efren’s work is with children from the slums who he offers an alternative to gang membership. He started when he was 16 by having survived a confrontation with a gang lord because he didn’t want to join the gang. Now, working with very little money but an army of 10,000 volunteers who have been rescued, they are teaching slum kids basic reading and writing skills from a pushcart classroom.

He doesn’t consider himself a hero but he admits he’s completely dedicated. His work is certainly the stuff of heroism. All we have to do is read the stories of gratitude from those whom his group have rescued and the picture becomes very clear indeed. Congratulations Efren! Keep up the good work!

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

The Enemy Within

Two Important Events in America

On Thursday 5th November, 2009, US Army Maj Nidal Malik Hasan suddenly went on a shooting spree, killing 13 of his own soldiers, and wounding another 30.

On Tuesday, 10th November, 2009, John Allen Mohammed was put to death through lethal injection for having committed ten killings by sniper fire, and having injured another three people.

These are two important events in America because they have some critical points in common. Both men evidently have Moslem connections; both were killers of several people who were random targets; and both used the gun friendly environment of the United States to horrifying result.

There has been much shock and horror that has generated a great deal of discussion, but so far I have not heard anyone, except one lone man express the fact that he now “gets the message.” When asked whether he is in favour of gun control, he replied “I am now!”

President Obama has declared that America is not at war with Islam, and never will be. However, perhaps the question should be whether Islam is at war with America and the West.

First, let us consider Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan. He was born in Arlington, Virginia, 39 years ago of parents who are Palestinian-Americans. He evidently loved America and was a good and loyal citizen. He joined the army and worked his way up the ladder to become a Major. In that capacity he was a psychiatrist who counselled army personnel and soldiers.

However, his very being was a conflict to other soldiers, because they were going off to war theatres to fight and kill, or be killed by Moslems, albeit by the names of Al Qaeda or The Taliban, but nonetheless they were Moslems. Consequently, Maj. Hasan found himself denigrated, discriminated against, and made very uncomfortable. He wanted out of the army. Instead, he was ordered to go overseas to Afghanistan where he would continue his services as counsellor to soldiers who were troubled as a result of their fighting activities.

On the 5th of November he seems to have calmly turned on his perceived tormentors and in a few horrifying seconds he killed 13 and seriously injured 30, some of whom may not survive. Fortunately he did survive when he was in turn shot. Hopefully he will be able to help the army with some urgent thinking that it must do.

Apparently the army was not sensitive to his personal problems and proceeded roughshod to disregard his pleas to be let out. Now the question has to be considered whether there should be any serving Moslem soldiers in the U.S. military. America is in an undeclared war against Moslem extremists while at the same time giving sanctuary and security to its own Moslem citizens. Perhaps it is too much of a conflict to place people of the Islamist faith in. A good hard look is required at this question, and it has to be done quickly.




John Allen Mohammed:

Born John Allen Williams on December 31, 1960, in New Orleans, Louisiana, he later changed his surname to Mohammed in 1987 when he joined the Nation of Islam. He was an excellent soldier who attained the distinction of Expert Rifleman. He served in the first Gulf War as a fighting soldier, and in that capacity he almost certainly killed fellow Moslems.

He was discharged honourably from the army in 1994 having the rank of Sergeant. He then started getting into trouble with the law over petty crimes. He was twice divorced, and his ex-second wife was granted a restraining order against him. He moved to Antigua where he met Lee Boyd Malvo, a young Jamaican, who was to later become his partner in the killings. It was suggested that one goal of his was to ultimately kill his second ex-wife in order to regain custody of his children.

Their rampage killed ten people for whom they are directly responsible, as well as injuring three persons. However, another ten victims are indirectly linked to them. It should be noted that their modus operandi was simply that of anyone who was caught in their cross-hairs was shot. Be it man, woman, black, white, Christian, Jew or Moslem, or child, in their opinion they were engaged in a Jihad, (a struggle in the way of God, or Holy War) and their targets were all presumed to be Americans.

To me, these two examples are very disturbing on their own, but we have to add to that the news of today, November 12th, 2009 from London that there Moslems are on the march declaring their intention to take-over Britain, and ultimately the world, and to turn Buckingham Palace into a Mosque. When asked what would become of the Queen they answered that she could convert and become a Moslem, or leave the country.

Both The United States and Britain have substantial communities of Moslems living among the general population. Both countries have experienced death and destruction at the hands of young extremists. The former Bush Administration asked the question: would you prefer that we fought the aggressors on our streets, or theirs? The answer was always, “On theirs!”

It would appear to me that a movement is under way, whereby the aggressor is determined that America and Britain will fight that war on home soil. It would be an act of supreme optimism not to expect more, much, much more violence in the very near future.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Life in a Wheelchair

Life in a Wheelchair-It's another World

When you see a person in a wheelchair does anything register in your mind at all? Probably not, because it is a common enough sight. If anything, you might think that if not for the Grace of God, that could be you.

I came to think of people in wheelchairs from the angle of noticing when able-bodied people trampled upon the rights of the handicapped. Drivers here in Spain take some extraordinary liberties among themselves, and some of the things that they do would simply end in somebody being shot to death in certain parts of the United States. For instance, there, you would not double-park your car resulting in a blockage for someone else. If you did it without thinking and walked away, you would have second thoughts about going back to your car. Here, we do it all the time and we do not expect the other person to be angry when we have inconvenienced them to such a degree.

I have noticed how common it is for people to park in spaces reserved for the handicapped. They even park across pedestrian crossings, so the handicapped have no chance. Things came to a head on the day that I noticed a couple with a “Wales” sticker drive into the parking area of a Mercadona Supermarket and park at an angle across two parking spaces. That was bad enough, but add to that the fact that both spaces were reserved for the handicapped. That must surely take the prize for “Coldest Bastard in the Universe.”

So, I wrote a blog, the gist of which was that we should be careful to protect the rights of the handicapped before we need those same rights ourselves. I published that blog on the 11th October. On the 14th October I found myself in a wheelchair with a broken leg. I can only assume that I am to highlight the experience of life from a wheelchair, since I opened the subject. This will be the follow-through. (Ain’t life strange?)

There are a series of one-word descriptions that very accurately sum up life lived in this manner, and all but one are bad words. Such as: Boring, horrible, frustrating, demanding, challenging, depressing, sucks, and suicidal. The one word that could be considered acceptable is “utilitarian.” It does allow for you to have some sort of life on the move, but that is very small comfort.

I am not the perfect subject to speak of life in this way because my time in a wheelchair is limited to my full recovery until I can once again walk when my leg has healed. In the meantime I can get up and change to crutches. In other words, I cheat. I am a fraud. To hear from the real wheelchair bound people simply log on to “Wheelchair blogs” and you will enter a whole new world.

Frankly, I opened these pages and I became emotionally charged. It gave me pause to realize that in parallel with the “normal” world there is a society of disabled people who have to function, sometimes without the cooperation of the able-bodied to cope with everyday life.

Of course, you will find angry blogs, because they have a lot to be angry about. So many cities completely forget the handicapped in their designs. You will also find some incredibly positive thoughts, and a lot of very ordinary viewpoints. For instance, there are handicapped beauty pageants, and why not? There are also campaigns against what is called “Apartheid by Design, or lack of design.” And of course, there are the Para-Olympics.

There is also humour. In Bermuda I had a meeting with the Handicapped Association to discuss raising funds for them. I arrived at their workshop to realise I was the only person without a seat. It seems I had failed to bring my seat with me, a fact that caused great peels of laughter.

A friend of mine suggested that it is rare to see people in wheelchairs in Spain. Is that their fault, or the fault of everybody else? If the city or town makes it impossible to navigate a wheelchair, why would we expect to see someone out on their own trying to shop?

Just imagine trying to get from one end of a street to the other, or from one side of the street to the other without someone having deliberately paved the way. Sometimes, the thing that such a person needs is just within a stone’s throw and no big deal if you are able to walk. But, for the disabled it might just as well be another world away.

I honestly don’t know how a person is supposed to adjust to life in a wheelchair. I’m certain that one thing is needed to do this, and that thing is emotional strength. Handicapped people must be some of the strongest people in the world.

I want to ask you to bear in mind the next time you encounter a handicapped person on their own that that person may well have once been as able-bodied as you are. Consequently, you could find yourself in the same position in the twinkling of an eye. So, instead of passing them as though they were invisible, or just a normal person, at least say Hello! Ask whether there is anything you can do for them, and take the time to be of assistance.

If this idea spreads far and wide you might one day be grateful for it, and happy that you helped to promote it.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Flying Naked

“Getting There is Half the Fun?”

That was the catch phrase of a travel company many years ago. They have given that up now because travelling is no fun. Instead travelling is all about “hurry up and wait.” I am trying to remember when it all changed. What I can remember are the days when we actually dressed up to look our very best to board an airplane.

In those days there was absolute respect for the crew and we were all on our very best behaviour. Then we noticed that students travelling during spring break started wearing jeans and tee-shirts, and behaviour suffered along with that. The standard had dropped. A new age had dawned.

Then came hijackings, mainly to Cuba from the U.S. Following that period aircraft were taken with a full load of passengers and used for negotiations and blackmail. I recall the first time I saw an airplane blown up, thankfully without people on board. I found it hard to believe such deliberate destruction of such a valuable object was possible.

The eleventh of September, 2001 changed everything forever. The hijacking of four planes with passengers and coldly flown into buildings told the world that there are people who will go to any length to make a point. The traveller’s world was impacted in ways that we are only beginning to understand. The advice of The White House was that we should continue on with our lives on a normal basis. Not to do so would be to admit that the terrorists had won.

The problem with that is that life is no longer normal, and the terrorists have won because we are even terrorizing ourselves. I passed into the security zone at Heathrow recently and was given the most thorough examination in the open space as other travellers looked on. I was ordered to remove my hat, my belt, my glasses, my shoes and a light jacket. A man placed his hands over every centimetre of my body, especially around my scrotum.

When he grasped my penis and my testicles and gave a squeeze I told him that I had a licence to carry that equipment. He never even broke a smile. When he finished I thanked him and asked how much did I owe him? He was puzzled, but I explained that never before in my life had I had such a good massage.

During all that it would have been particularly inappropriate to complain about the violation of my privacy. Had I reacted with righteous indignation that would have simply given them steam to go even further than they did.Such invasive searching is supposed to be in my interest, so I am supposed to simply walk away with a whimper.

With all that in mind we might have foreseen that the day would not be far off when we would all be electronically stripped of our dignity through the invasion of our privacy. It has now been announced that technology in the form of a scanner is undergoing testing at Manchester Airport’s Terminal 2, as well, it has been tested at Heathrow Airport. The traveller would have to agree to be scanned by stepping out of line to stand before the scanner backdrop. X-ray beams will outline the person for the officer who is at a remote location who will be presented with a picture that will show whether you are carrying anything of a suspicious nature anywhere on or within your body. In fact you are virtually naked. We are assured that none of these images can be stored or downloaded, and only one officer sees them.

We are further assured that the images are not pornographic or erotic. What a shame. However, they do show you in your birthday suit, so it’s a good thing that for the time being we at least do have a choice.

My parting comment to the security officer that I referred to above, was that in order to help him in his work I thought that perhaps we should all fly naked. He said that they would still have to find the contraband. That sounded awfully painful to me, so I think I had better quit while I’m ahead.

Copyright © Eugene Carmichael