MY DAILY THOUGHT @thethoughtsoftheday - Tumblr Blog

January 18, 2021 - A tribute to Eliza

On October 27, 2005, out of a large litter of puppies, we chose the two we thought were the most beautiful, and they were. It was shortly thereafter, we took home Oliver (“Twist”) and Eliza (“Doolittle”) who became and remained a part of our family.

18 months ago, about a week after my 60th birthday, Oliver was taken from us. He had a heart of gold and loved nothing more than to be around people and to eat and be loved. Yesterday morning, it was time for Eliza to join her brother in what I can only hope is a happy place filled with much love, good food and open fields to run, explore and chase birds and animals.

“Lizzie” was born with grace and beauty and end her life in the same way. The first few black and white pictures were taken the day before she died.

Along her journey, she was inseparable with her brother who she loved and as he got sick, she took care of him, licking his eyes every day and just being there with him. He gave birth to 13 puppies in two litters many of who went on to be champions.

As good as they both were as show dogs, at the end of the day, they both wanted nothing more than to be around people and to be loved and cuddled.

If there was one thing good that came out of COVID and lockdown, was that I got to spend almost every day of the last 10-11 months with her.

It is quiet in our house today but the rooms and back yard are filled with memories of both of them who we all loved and adored. Rest peacefully Lizzie. You will remain in our hearts forever.

“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.”

Will Rogers

#mydailythought #eliza #dogs

November 17, 2020

On February 10, 1985, I arrived in the United States from Australia with the intention of being here for about two years during which time I hoped to learn something about the entertainment industry and take that knowledge back to Australia and find a job working in the local industry.

After more than 35 years, I am still living in the United States working in an industry that I love despite missing my family and friends “downunder.” For most of the last 35 years, my status in the United States has been as a “green card” holder allowing me to have permanent resident alien status although I could still be subject to deportation under certain circumstances.

For many years, I did not feel the need to become a US citizen even though I would be able to maintain dual citizenship, but over the course of the last 4 years I have watched what I perceive to be a terrible demise in the moral fiber of this country to the point where about 15 months ago, I felt the need to be able to vote in this year’s Presidential election.

I filed my application for citizenship about 15 months ago wanting to make sure that I would have enough time for any potential delays not to impact my ability to register as a voter but with the onset of COVID, the White House essentially put all citizenship interviews “on hold” and as election day drew nearer, it became apparent that I would not be able to vote in the 2020 elections. Despite growing concerns that the President may achieve again what he did in 2016, on the night before the elections I wrote in a blog that the outcome of this election would be looked back upon as a moment in time, and what defines who we are is not what we did yesterday and today, but rather what we are going to do tomorrow and in the months and years to come especially when we suffer initial setbacks.

As the hours rolled by on the evening of November 3, I became more and more despondent at what I perceived to be the outcome of the elections and felt only marginally better the next morning. I found myself questioning whether I would still want to stay in this country if we had to endure another 4 years in which decency and values seemed to have gone out the window. I then reflected on what I had written on the night before the elections and realized that I had to act as I had written and not be deterred even if the election results were not what I had hoped for. And so, despite my concerns about the election outcome, I reconfirmed my personal desire to become a citizen so that I could do what we all need to do, and take affirmative action to support our own belief systems.

How ironic it was that 4 days after the election, I received a notice from the Immigration Department that my citizenship interview would be scheduled for today! Perhaps the White House decided that it was okay to resume interviews given that the elections had now passed (although in their mind the results still not something they seem to be able to acknowledge) meaning that immigrants who it had been felt would likely vote Democratic over Republican could no longer result in voting that might not be supportive of the incumbent President.

None of us should be completely shocked that although the President seems to have only limited interest in running the country at a time when leadership is needed, he did announce a few days ago that starting on December 2nd, a new test would be given to immigrant applicants making it more difficult for them to pass, often asking questions that the average US citizen does not know the answer to. One existing question would now have a new answer. The question is asked “Who does a U.S. Senator represent?” The answer provided the USCIS historically has been “All people of the state.” As of December 2, the new answer will be “The CITIZENS of the state.” Apparently, non-citizens, potentially undocumented workers, and their families are no longer to be represented by the elected Senators.

How sad is it that these kind of changes have to be made but perhaps we should not be surprised given that voter suppression and the efforts to limit the voting rights of certain classes of individuals even in these elections, has been a dominating issue over the last few months.

A second question on the test states, “There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote.” The test taker is asked to describe one of them. Amongst the correct answers are: (i)”Citizens 18 and older can vote; (ii) any citizen can vote (women and men); and (iii) a male citizen of any race can vote.”

In looking at the barriers that were created for so many people to vote during one of the worst pandemics in the history of this country, it seems a strange question to be asking on the test!

At 10:00am this morning, I arrive downtown and walked to the Federal Building at 300 North Los Angeles Street where on the 8th floor, interviews for citizenship would take place. After going through a security check-in, I was instructed to go to a waiting room where I, together with 20-30 other people, sat socially distant and were told that interview may be delayed 1-2 hours. Eventually my name was called and a man escorted me through several corridors to a room that had a numeric coded lock on it. He punched in the correct series of numbers, opened the door and asked me to come in. I was told to stand while he walked to the other side of the desk protected by a glass partition and was told to raise my right hand and swear that the answers I would give would be the truth and nothing but the truth.

I then sat down, produced my passport, my driver’s license and my Green Card, all of which the interviewer made copies of and scanned into the file. After asking me to verify my full name and my date of birth, he then proceeded to ask me the series of 10 questions that were selected from the 100 I had studied. To pass the test you only had to correctly answer six and after I gave the correct response to the first six questions, that part of the interview concluded.

I was then asked a series of questions to corroborate what I had said on my application. I could not correctly remember all of the answers I gave but my interviewer seemed content that I was genuine and was not deliberating giving false statements! He commented that I had travelled extensively to different parts of the world but did not ask me why in the space of a few months, a number of years ago, I was in Lebanon, Israel and Cuba even though I thought that might come up.

It had been my expectation that when this process was finished, I would be told that I would get a piece of paper in the mail telling me that I had passed the test and that I would then appear at a swearing in ceremony where I would officially become a citizen. Apparently, as a result of COVID that was no longer the case and that in 99% of cases, the officer who interviewed you would swear you in on the spot.

In my case, I fell within the 1% that did not get sworn in today given that at the time I had finished answering all of the relevant questions (successfully I might add) the section of the computer that processes these applications had broken down and so I was told to leave and that I would get a letter in the mail at some point telling me to return to the Federal Building where an officer would hand me my certificate after I swore the oath of allegiance.

I felt slightly disappointed that there would be no formal ceremony but on reflection, I realized that I was not becoming a citizen for “pomp and circumstance” but rather because I felt the need to be a voice in the future of this country where at least for the present, I had chosen to reside. Today I had shown up wearing a pair of jeans and a tee shirt from one of the past Jerusalem Film Festivals which had white doves flying over the head of a woman. Perhaps when I go back the second time, I might get dressed up a little bit more formally in honor of the moment but at the end of the day, it is not our outward appearance that is relevant. It is what we feel inside and how we act that is meaningful and relevant.

One of the rights afforded to a citizen under the Constitution is the right to vote. Too often in the past, we have not always seen this as a responsibility when the truth is that it IS the responsibility of everyone to vote so that their voices can be heard. If you don’t vote, then you do not have the right to complain if you are not satisfied with the status quo. Regardless of whether you were happy about the results of these elections or not, the fact that more people came out and voted than ever before perhaps shows that people are more engaged now than they have been in the past. There is a great divide in this country right now but if all of us engage in active conversation and affirmative action, perhaps we can all help bring the extreme views on both sides a little closer to the middle. At the end of the day, we are all granted certain key rights under the Declaration of Independence – Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. If we keep these ideals in our minds, perhaps we can all work towards the goal of fulfilling the objectives of drafters of the Constitution who in its opening words state what we have all heard a thousand times:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Even though I did not become a citizen today and when I do go back to the Federal Building in a week or so there will be no marching band or formal ceremony, on reflection, this was a good day. It was an important day and certainly a day that I will not forget.

#mydailythought #citizenship

Tonight is a night for reflection

Across the country and around the world, people are anxious to see what the next 24 hours will bring. I am of course referring to the United States Presidential elections. For those who are Democrats, despite the evidence that the polls appear to suggest a favorable outcome, the memories of four years ago remain ingrained in our minds and so the ability to even commit to the possibility of what we perceive would be a great result, is challenging at best. For Republicans who watched the President defy the odds four years ago, allows that loyal fan base to believe that the same is possible yet again.

But regardless of whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, there are some fundamental questions that we must all ask of ourselves to see if our political leanings are based on honest and truthful belief systems and are we speaking out and voting in the belief that our decisions are not only in the best interests of ourselves but also in the interests of our family, our friends, our neighbors, our colleagues and the country as a whole.

For many, particularly those who are suffering economically or are in bad health, the decision to vote is going to be motivated in part to look at what those individual needs just to survive. For those who are the victims of discrimination whether through gender, sexual, religious or other forms of bias, the need to stand up for equality and demand what the Constitution of the United States is supposed to guaranty, is certainly a legitimate reason to express a point of view.

For each of these categories, I believe that people voting to address these concerns are not only voting in the best interests of themselves, but are equally in the best interests of the country as a whole. The improvement of economic conditions for those who are disadvantaged, making available health care at affordable rates or even for free if necessary, is a right that every human should have a right to receive. We cannot and should not ignore that by facilitating a more healthy economy, and improving the living conditions of those who are living in squalor will ultimately lead to those individuals being less of a burden on society and is more likely to result in them becoming valuable and productive members of society.

There is a more challenging question that is faced by those who are more fortunate. It is many of those individuals who with limited exceptions, have not been materially impacted by COVID and the current economic climate. Those people, like myself, still have jobs, can still make our mortgage payments and can put food on the table every day. If we have been fortunate enough to have money in the stock market, then we have probably been lucky enough to see an uptick during this challenging period of time. It is we, at this time, who must ask ourselves are we really doing everything that we can to help those who are less fortunate or are we merely talking a good game to save face in front of our peers but when it comes to affirmative action, are we really practicing what we preach? Are we going to vote with our pockets or are we going to vote with our conscience? Are we willing to recognize that the payment of higher taxes on those who can afford it, is a sacrifice that is worth agreeing to if in the long run the money that is raised through such higher taxes is going to be disbursed to communities and areas where it is really needed.

We need to ask ourselves when we say we support the rights of the LGBTQ movement, and we support and recognize the importance of “Black Lives Matter”, and we say that we support equality in the workforce in all areas, are we pro-actively doing things that make these much needed changes possible? Or if we look at ourselves in the mirror, can we doing and should we be doing more?

The results of tomorrow’s election, regardless of what it is, when looked back as history, will like many other moments in time, be just a moment in time. Over time, we continually face challenges and the way we work through those challenges, is not throwing in the towel if victory does not come immediately but it comes when despite those challenges, we continue to support those causes, we rally as a community and we do what we can in the hope that the next generation that will follow us will be in a world that is better than the one we leave.

Each one of us is hoping for a favorable outcome tomorrow (or in the next few days) that supports our perspective. Like in any election, there will be those will be happy with the result and those who will be disappointed. For those who witness a favorable result, we should look at this not as an end but a beginning. A country divided is less productive than a country that is working to becoming closer together. For those who are disappointed by the result, they should not give up in their belief systems provided that such beliefs reflect values that are truly in the best interests of not just a class of individuals but take into consideration what is equally needed for the country as a whole to get us back on track. For those who were pleased by the result, those people cannot and should not ignore the concerns and issues raised by those who did not witness what they perceive to be a favorable result.

We all have to remember to be open minded and not judgmental without considering all of the facts. In speaking to people where you have seemingly different points of view, see if you can find something that you have in common and build the conversation from there. You may be amazed to find how many things you do actually agree upon. This is the difference between just talking and actually engaging in meaningful conversation.

There are always going to be people at the far end of the spectrum who are going to hold on to their potentially extremist views. These are often the most challenging people to deal with but the more people can find a way to come together and look for commonality of approach, the more we recognize that we don’t always need to win every point in a discussion and that sometimes making concessions are a good thing if you are accommodating the interests or needs or others, the more likely that those who have extreme views and values will shrink in number and will hopefully see from the actions of others, that there is a better path forward.

Tomorrow will be what it will be. But what we do on the next day and in the weeks and months and years that follow, is what ultimately will result in real change. We have witnessed that changes in legislation, that decisions in the courts are a step in the right direction but it is only when people look into themselves and recognize that change is necessary, not just because someone is telling us we have to change, but because the change is ultimately in the best interests of all of us, then there is no limit to the possibility of what we can all achieve together.

“Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning.” ― Gloria Steinem

“If we all did the things we are really capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” ― Thomas A. Edison

“I am too much of a skeptic to deny the possibility of anything.” ― Thomas Henry Huxley, Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley

#mydailythought #reflection

Today, many people are asking themselves what can they be doing to make a difference. What should they be doing to make a difference? Can my contribution make a difference in a world that needs sweeping change?

These are all reasonable questions and things that we should all be thinking about. Sometimes we all have a tendency to sit on the sidelines and let other people take the lead. Sometimes our decision not to engage is out of fear. Sometimes it is based on a feeling that others who have more experience or the ability to have greater impact because of financial resources can do a better job.

The simple fact of the matter is that we each have the ability to effect change and to make a difference. The collective efforts of a large number of people who do even something in a limited capacity can bring about substantive impact. Sometimes when we see other people engage and doing something, it will inspire us and others to do the same.

In a commentary to this week’s Torah portion entitled “Pinchas”, the last Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, discussed the following more than 30 years ago:

“No one should pay attention to what others do or fail to do. If an opportunity arises to accomplish something, one must go ahead and do it. When the Almighty places a person into a situation that requires mesirat nefesh (i.e. an act of such figurative self-sacrifice and the acceptance of the possible consequence), that person is also give the necessary abilities, and may even be infused with a spark of someone who is not human. This is a lesson for all [people] in our time. One is not to think in terms of “this one or that one can do the job.” One must be aware that anything coming your way belongs to your “own” share. You have the ability to deal with it, and must do so with mesirat nefesh.

The Rebbe said that this does NOT mean throwing yourself of a roof but rather it must permeate all activities of our daily life.

Sometime things happened about which the leaders of the generation remain silent. This does NOT mean that nothing is to be done. Nor does it mean that this silence could be used as an argument to disassociate oneself from the event. On the contrary, when aware that you are able to do something about it, you are obligated to do so. The fact that others, greater than yourself, say nothing may very well be for the sake [of the person contemplating action]. In other words, the event may have special bearing upon you: it is part of those things that you are to refine and rectify in order to achieve your own perfection.”

These are times when we should not be sitting on the sidelines. We all have a responsibility to engage and not “pass the buck” to someone else.

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King - “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

#mydailythought #blacklivesmatter #blm

On April 29, 1992, a jury trial acquitted four officers who were members of the Los Angeles police department following charges of excessive force in the arrest and beating of Rodney King which, like the recent murder of George Floyd on May 25, was captured on video and seen by an audience that felt, yet again, that justice was not served and that there was no equality in the law when it to the treatment of African Americans, and in equality that has been an issue in this country for hundreds of years.

As was the case with the Rodney King riots, where people took to the street, set cars and buildings on fire and looted property and more than 60 people were killed, we again find ourselves in a city and country where there is widespread civil unrest.

I remember the day the sentencing was announced in the Rodney King trial. It was a Wednesday afternoon and I was at my office working. Rioting began almost immediately and within a relatively short period of time, a curfew was imposed and we were all ordered to go home as quickly as possible. What should have taken me 5 minutes to drive home took nearly an hour and a half as the city was in gridlock. My son was only a few days away from his first birthday and for the first time in my life I felt scared for him. We lived not far from Pico Blvd. and from our front yard we could look east towards downtown and over the course of the next two days we would watch the fires get closer and closer to our house until finally fires and looting was taking place on La Cienega Blvd in an area that was less than two miles from our house.

Yesterday afternoon, I attended what I thought was going to be a peaceful demonstration at Pan Pacific Park but by the time people began marching, the tension in the air made it clear that this may not end in the peaceful manner in which it began. By the time I got home yesterday, it was clear that demonstrations were taking place all over the country and that there was widespread unrest. For friends who lived close to Melrose and Fairfax, and for those who live in Santa Monica, I have some sense of what they must have been feeling during the last 24 hours.

Late on the afternoon of May 3, 1992, I wanted to see first-hand what was taking place in Koreatown (which had been badly hit) and other parts of the city and so convinced one of my partners who had a large “decked out” Suburban that we should drive east before the curfew would come into effect and check it out! He asked me if I thought it would be safe and being in my early 30s and always adventurous, I reassured him we would be totally fine.

I found the old negatives in my storage this afternoon and wanted to share the images with all of you. It was the first time I had seen the National Guard on hand seeing soldiers with machine guns protecting supermarkets and other stores gave me some insight into what it must be life living in a third world country when the fear of being attacked is always present. It was both sad and unsettling. In looking back at photos I took on that occasion, perhaps the ones that resonated with me the most are of a young boy with a toy gun walking around his neighborhood in Koreatown and the framed picture of Dr. Martin Luther King that someone had placed on a destroyed building. How sad it is today that despite the passage of time that issues of inequality still permeate our country. So many great civil rights leaders tried to solve issues with a peaceful resolution but after centuries of injustice that still continues today, it is not surprising that people are frustrated and people are angry.

We walked around Melrose this afternoon and most of the damaged storefronts had been boarded up and some were even open for business. But as I walked I found myself asking the question “if not now…when?”

It is now nearly 8PM and again the city of Los Angeles is on curfew as are many cities around the country. I pray that it is a quiet night and I pray that as we all wake up tomorrow, that perhaps we can all start to work together to find a path forward to finally make real progress on issues that should have been addressed a long time ago.

This is a sad time for people who are unfairly opposed in this country and it is also a sad time for the large number of officers of the law who have high moral standards and truly work hard to protect all of us and who at times like this must be struggling when they witness actions of a small group of people that call into question the integrity of a larger group.

In the words of President of John F. Kennedy, perhaps this IS a time when we all should be asking “not what our country should be doing for us, but what we all should be doing for our country.”

#rodney king riots #los angeles #mydailythought

MEMORIAL DAY – PART 2

Today is Memorial Day. A day on which people in the United States honor and mourn the loss of those military personnel who died while serving their country.

As indicated in my earlier post (Memorial Day Part 1), it is a weekend when people normally relax, go to the beach, have barbeques but for many, it is a day which serves as a reminder of the price we have to pay for freedom and safety. Given the number of wars that have taken place over the last century, it is hard to know anyone who on some basis didn’t have someone in their family history that either served in a war or were a victim of a war.

This Memorial Day is perhaps more unique than its predecessors. On the cover of yesterday’s New York Times, was a list of 1000 people who have died recently as victims who lost their lives to the Corona virus. A large number of these people, like those who headed down to Wall Street following the 9/11 attack, were people in service industries like doctors, nurses, and volunteers who while understanding the risks they were taking for their own existence, did what they signed up to do in a moment of crisis. We should also not forget those who have lost their lives because they were in communities and facilities where safe and clean facilities were not an option and an absence of available testing underscored the scope of how far this virus had extended.

This may not be a war in the traditional sense, but it is a war nonetheless where by the end of today, nearly 100,000 people will have died in the United States and nearly 350,000 people have died around the world.

This Memorial Day is a reminder that life is precious. It is a reminder that we all have responsibilities from time to time not only to ourselves and our immediate families and friends, but to the people in the communities and countries where we live. It is a time when we all have to pull our weight and do what we can and what we should do.

This Memorial Day has felt like no other and while I want this day to come and go and look back a year from now to the time we were in and be excited that we have moved forward, history has shown that we all need to remember the past because if we don’t learn from the mistakes we made, yet again, the past will become the present.

For those of you who are remembering loves ones or friends who died in wars or have recently fallen victim, to COVID-19, my thoughts go out to you as we look forward to better days and better years to come. I don't know who Lorenzo Bean or Clarence Williams were who were two of the the thousands of graves located at the VA Cemetery in Westwood where I walked this afternoon, but what I do know is that fought for a cause that has helped all of us be alive to read this post today.

#memorial day #mydailythought

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND – PART 1

Historically, this is a 3-day weekend where people flock to the beaches, barbeque in their backyards with family and friends or perhaps take a 3-day weekend and travel to some other location. This time last year, I was in Marrakesh hiking in the Atlas Mountains and enjoying incredible Moroccan food.

This year, while there are some flights available within the United States, travel has dropped off nearly 90% not only having a massive economic impact on the airline industry, but cause massive economic disruption to the tourist industry all over the world as well as the rental car business where we read this weekend that Hertz has filed for bankruptcy.

On any normal Sunday morning, even at 7:30am, cyclists head down to the beach and thousands of people are out riding along the bike paths and for the more ambitious long rides up the coast, or for me this weekend, a 40-mile ride from Playa del Rey out to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. This was the first weekend when many of the beach bike paths were open, as were Southern Californian beaches but despite this, I was surprised to see, on what could not have been a more perfect day, a surprisingly small number of people venturing out from their homes.

Many who did brave the outdoors were wearing masks, and in general, those people who were on the beach were certainly social distancing. The city guidelines prohibited people from setting up chairs and umbrellas and congregating on the beach and people’s activities were supposed to be limited to walking, biking, surfing and swimming but with the limited number of people out, the life guides and patrollers left those of us who took our chairs and drinks down to the ocean, alone to enjoy the day.

While in certain parts of the country and around the world, people joined in overcrowded pool parties, bars and cafes but here people seemed more restrained. Perhaps we have all had an overload of news coverage where the threat of becoming infected (or possibly worse) has created in some of us, a reluctance to enter this new world!

Having found that I can do most of my work from home (even if it takes a little longer), I find myself surprised and how it is only in the last week that we have been with other people in a social setting.

I know the time will come when I will have to go back to work and deal with the “new normal” but for now I had a lovely afternoon at the beach, my work was limited to a relatively small number of emails and so life today is pretty darn good!

“Don’t be unwilling to take those little steps; in them are residing great journeys. Move on.”

Israelmore Ayivor - Shaping the dream

#israelmoreayivor #reluctance #memorial day #mydailythought

You may be looking at these blurred images and wondering what the hell has he posted today. The answer is simple. Several nights ago, I drove down to Playa del Rey where I had hoped to both see and capture the bioluminescent waves that have been bringing hundreds if not thousands of people out to the beach each night in Southern California to witness this strange phenomenon that exists as a result of the current red tide.

It is fair to say that I genuinely struggled to capture a sharp image of this most unusual sight which is truly beautiful. I have no doubt that on other nights the vibrancy of the blue may have been stronger and more pronounced but even these blurry images capture an almost haunting view of what in some cases look like almost pre-historical creatures.

We were also blessed with an almost full moon as shown in the last photo. Seeing this in a sky that for the first time in decades has less pollutants in the air made the night sky spectacular.

It is not clear to me how much longer these glowing blue waves will last but if you haven’t seen them and you want a little night excursion, this is definitely one of the things that are worth the trip!

“The sea is emotion incarnate. It loves, hates, and weeps. It defies all attempts to capture it with words and rejects all shackles. No matter what you say about it, there is always that which you can't.”

Christopher Paolini, Eragon

#red tide #mydailythought

After all of the somewhat unhealthy but delicious food I cooked and ate over the weekend, I felt compelled to take an extra-long and slightly more strenuous walk tonight at around 6:30PM in a feeble attempt to burn off some of the eggs, cream, butter and oil I consumed in the previous 48 hours!

I am so lucky to be living up in the hills where each night at around 6:30-6:45 I head off for my nightly walk of anywhere between 60 and 90 minutes. I do have a number of choices on which direction to head and the good news is that each of them involve some reasonable hills so I get a decent work out after a long day.

I genuinely try and take this time to not make work calls but rather to take this moment each day to either listen to a good book on tape or listen to some classical music or to spend part of the time speaking to friends who I just want to catch up with and see how they are doing.

This time each night has become a somewhat mandatory time of each day. Even my clients now know that I take a break at this time but will be reachable again after 8 if something urgent requires attention. The question I have to ask myself is why it has taken a pandemic to make me appreciate the importance of taking this time each day not only because of the need to exercise but because this time of clearing my head once a day is good for my sanity. My hope of course is that when I do return to work, I will find a way to keep this routine on some basis.

Perhaps we might all do something a little different as we come out of this period of time rethinking our values!

For those of you who didn’t get out and walk today, make it a priority. You have no idea how much better it will make you feel!

“My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She's ninety-seven now, and we don't know where the heck she is.” ― Ellen DeGeneres

“But the beauty is in the walking -- we are betrayed by destinations.” ― Gwyn Thomas

#gwyn thomas #ellen degeneres #walking #mydailythought

My post today is nothing more than sharing with you the most relaxing part of my weekend which was cooking. It does take the better part of the day but the end result, thank God, was worth it.

My day started at around 6:30am where I got up out of bed and went to the market to catch the opening hour beginning at 7am when for 60 minutes the market guests are limited to people in my young age bracket! I was in an out in 20 minutes with almost nobody stupid enough to get up as early as I did!

I had set out in my mind to make 4 dishes, each of which would take varying degrees of time.

1. A Tucson bread based on a recipe which had been sent to me from a friend and client which I had been dying to make for some time. Nothing like fresh baked bread with a little oregano, thyme, basil and mixed Provencal herbs. When my friend told me that the bread would taste equally good with butter or olive oil she wasn’t kidding.

2. Full puff pastry from scratch. This would be my second attempt and I was determined to make a selection of different tarts including fresh sliced tomatoes with olive oil and basil (with a sprinkling of goat cheese); a second tart with salmon and pesto; and finally, a tart with shitake mushrooms and caramelized onions. I know you can buy frozen puff pastry already made but trust me, if you have the patience, homemade is always better and fun to make!

3. One of my favorite things to make is classic French onion soup. To do properly, you have to plan a day when you can stir and caramelize onions for 7 hours and if you do it, the flavor is incredible. And so, over the course of over 7 hours, 8 large brown onions and 3 shallots compressed down to a little over 2 ½ cups of onions which explode with flavor when you add them to a vegetable stock and a couple of teaspoons of flower. Other than toasting some fresh bread with a little olive oil and I nice cheese that melts, which you drop in the soup, it is one of the easiest thinks to make.

4. My fourth “planned” dish was a vegetarian, no dairy cauliflower soup with curry, cayenne pepper and some onions. If you own a Vitamix (or something equivalent) the whole thing can be done in a little over 30 minutes after which you only need to slow cook the soup for about 90 minutes.

5. With a little puff pastry over on Sunday night, and some fresh leeks in the fridge, I decided to make a leek and cheese quiche, something I have never made before. A photo of the end production is above so you be the judge.

No politics to write about this weekend. Just the fun in cooking good food and then getting to eat it. Tomorrow I will have to face the reality of the real world, but for tonight, I will be content to go to sleep with a full and satisfied stomach! Of course, like W.C. Fields I did not let my throat go dry during the day!

“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.”

WC Fields

You may be asking, why the pictures of spiders today?

For many of us, we are facing another week after two or more months of staying at home and find ourselves desperately wanting to get back into the world and have real life interaction with our friends and family. After all, we are not meant to live our lives alone or in combined spaces. It is what we do together that makes us better and stronger.

But even today, we need to exercise some restraint and be patient as is a spider when building its web. It is not something that can be rushed. It must be built with the utmost care. A flaw in the design will cause it to collapse and its purpose rendered a failure.

We will have the ability to start to return to a more normal existence soon. But in the interim, make the best of what we have!

“Patience is not passive, on the contrary, it is concentrated strength.” Bruce Lee

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” Lao Tz

“He that can have patience can have what he will.” ― Benjamin Franklin

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” ― Aristotle

#aristotle #benjamin franklin #lao tz #bruce lee #patience #mydailythought

While today we continue to mourn and honor the lives of those people who have died or who have been impacted by COVID 19, we also honor those people who died during the Holocaust on what around the world today is known as Yom HaShoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day.

During World War II, over 11 million people lost their lives at the hands of the Nazis and the other members of the Axis which included more than 6 million Jews. Today, for the first time since 1988, what has become known as the March of the Living, where people from all over the world, including Jew and non-Jews, march from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the annual march will not take place given the pandemic that has swept the world. Despite the March not taking place, we can all take a moment to reflect in silence, the horrors of what took place at a time that we would all prefer to forget.

After the War, the concept developed of “Never Again” yet despite this, the rise of hatred around the world, the rise of genocide in a growing number of countries has continued as has the rise of anti-Semitism and accordingly we cannot forget the past and we must continue to teach and remind our children as to what took place so that perhaps we can continue to find a path to move forward.

It is hard not to draw some comparisons to what is taking place in the world today with a pandemic that has taken the lives of more than 175,000 with more than two and half million people currently reported as having been infected with the virus and many more who have yet to be tested. As was the case with the Holocaust where many people ignored the warning signs and the failure to act promptly resulted in a large number of what were unnecessary deaths, the same actions have, in part, taken place not only here in the United States but in other countries around the world.

With the same message of “never again” on our minds, perhaps we might all learn from this experience that we should all look at the signs that confront us and do more to take them seriously. This is equally true as to how we take care of our own planet which continues to be under unparalleled attack at the hands of greed and wealth accumulation.

Whether or not you directly lost a family member during the Holocaust or knew someone who did, or whether or not you have lost someone at the hands of COVID 19 or know someone who has, we all need to take a moment in time to reflect not only on the past but also the present to reflect on what we can do so that perhaps one day, the concept of “Never again” may have a more significant meaning!

“When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews, I remained silent; I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.”

Martin Niemöller

#Yom HaShoah #Auschwitz #birkenau #the holocaust

2020 April 19, 2020

I had made up my mind Saturday night that come hell or highwater I would go for a long bike ride Sunday morning. The challenge was trying to decide where to go. I felt strongly inclined to try and ride near the ocean and had thought about riding from Playa del Rey to Palos Verdes but the bike path is closed and road to Manhattan Beach does not have much of a bike lane and even though there is not much traffic these days, I still prefer to ride where it is safe.

I had thought about riding through hidden hills which is scenically beautiful. That ride would have taken my past Westlake and Lake Sherwood which is a nice ride but there is something about seeing the ocean that is so good for the soul and so I drove the extra 20 minutes to Trancas Canyon on PCH and headed north in the direction of Ventura. I was worried that the beach road may be heavy with fog especially as I drove west from the 101 freeway where at times you could barely see 20-30 feet in front of you but as the road headed downhill the sun was creeping through and my ride would not be a disappointment.

It was a stunning morning to ride. There was no wind and car traffic was light. On either side of PCH the spring flowers were in bloom with large numbers of California poppies in bright yellow glowing in the morning sun. My destination would be Big Rock which would make for a 30-mile ride which was just enough to get a decent exercise in but have a relatively easy morning.

Along the way as the road hugged the coast, people had parked their cars staring out at the ocean. Some had brought chairs to sit on and brought a selection of food and beverages to drink. Young parents brought their kids who were likely tired of being stuck in doors most of the week.

I road past Neptune’s Nest, a very popular place on weekends where 100s of “bikies” often show up to start or finish a weekend ride. Today it was closed except for takeout but a couple of bearded riders on Harley’s were not going to waste a beautiful to ride along the ocean with a gentle breeze.

On my return back to Malibu, I saw an artist with his easel painting the ocean and surrounding areas, and below him saw a school of dolphin who were as close to shore as I have ever seen them. Perhaps it was the absence of surfers and noisy children playing on the sand that made them comfortable frolicking without a care in the world.

I could not help but reflect how lucky I was to be able to spend these few hours at a time when so many people in other parts of the country are limited in what they can do. After my ride, I would return home to do some work but the memory of the morning made everything else more than tolerable!

“Little minds have little worries, big minds have no time for worries.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

#PCH #Malibu #mydailythought #ralph waldo emerson

A look at Los Angeles under Lockdown – Part 5

On the final part of my journey last Sunday to witness and capture Los Angeles during a lockdown, I could not help myself but stop by Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive on my way home.

I don’t think I have ever seen such an abandoned and empty space as I did on Sunday afternoon. There was barely a car on the street, no tourists and almost no one on the street. Even on Wilshire Blvd. in front of the famous Beverly Wilshire Hotel where “Pretty Women” was shot, the street was empty.

All of the stores had removed their merchandise, including Tiffany and Company with apologize to their loyal customers. It seemed like even Beverly Hills was shut down as a result of the virus.

What was strange was there were parking attendants located at a couple of parking stations on Rodeo Drive but God knows who was going to park there.

After 7 hours of driving around, I had witnessed the extreme of emptiness on Hollywood Blvd. and ended with the emptiness of Beverly Hills. At the end of the day, when push comes to shove, perhaps these two locations and its occupants are not so different after all!

I will not forget what I witnessed over this day of driving around. It is not a sight that I wish to see again if at all possible but it was certainly memorable and impactful.

I can only pray that all of us and our family and friends remain safe and healthy.

“When the dust settles and we look back, will we be okay with what we see?"

End Times Alaska by Craig Martelle”

#rodeo drive #beverly hills #Craig Martelle #mydailythought

A look at Los Angeles under Lockdown – Part 4

Continuing on my journey on Sunday, I left downtown LA and headed towards Venice Beach and Santa Monica. I was expecting Venice Beach to be completely closed off but was surprised to see a large number of people walking along the walking path where on most normal weekends it would be filled with stalls and buskers.

On Sunday there were still people riding their bikes and on rollerblades but with the exception of a small number of people, the beach itself was empty. There were sadly a large number of homeless people present, some sleeping in tents on side streets and alleys but many had come out to sit in the fresh air and watch the ocean.

From Venice Beach I headed towards the Santa Monica Pier which was certainly closed. The beach adjacent to the pier and amusement park was all but empty with the occasional bike rider passing by to get from one location to the next. The first photo in this series of the lone cyclist heading towards the pier captures the emptiness of the moment and the feeling of what it might be like to be the only person alive as seen in some of those old sci-fi movies. Other than the occasional sound of a police recording asking people to stay off the beach and the bike path as a result of the Corona virus, the air was quiet and relatively still.

Perhaps as the sign said, all we need at this time is to show a little more love and kindness to not only the people around us but perhaps to the planet as well.

“As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness.”

Henry David Thoreau

#mydailythought #santa monica pier #venice beach #coronavirus

A look at Los Angeles under Lockdown – Part 3

Continuing on with the images taken last Sunday of Los Angeles during “lockdown”, after leaving MacArthur’s Park I headed into downtown LA and to the Art’s District. Standing at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion next to the fountains with not a soul in sight felt strange given how many times I had been there for a performance where the areas was packed with people. Even looking down towards the Public Library the streets were empty.

Many of the streets around Skid Row were closed to the public for health reasons. I drove past a group of 100 plus people standing on line for food who were inches apart from each other and with no face masks for protection.

At Perishing Square, again there was not a person in sight and the playground areas for children were taped off. God knows where parents who lived in the downtown area took their kids to play.

I was so pleased to see that the Original Pantry had still not closed and although you couldn’t go in and sit down for a meal, they were offering a takeout service.

In the Art’s district most of the residents were indoors given that almost all of the cafes and were closed and not even offering takeout. There were a few people walking around as can be seen of the man walking his dog with his face completely covered as well as the couples who were standing next to wonderful street art image of two people on 4th street and a couple walking by a fenced off area with a sign encouraging “social distancing” which they did not seem to be observing.

Like most of the city, the areas were largely empty leaving one imagining life in an apocalyptic time.

“Grief ... gives life a permanently provisional feeling. It doesn't seem worth starting anything. I can't settle down. I yawn, I fidget, I smoke too much. Up till this I always had too little time. Now there is nothing but time. Almost pure time, empty successiveness.”

C.S. Lewis

#Downtown LA #covid-19 #mydailythought #c.s. lewis

A look at Los Angeles under Lockdown – Part 2

As a follow-up to yesterday’s post including images taken on Sunday around the City of Los Angeles, after leaving Hollywood Blvd., I headed in the direction of downtown Los Angeles and found myself at MacArthur’s Park. It was perhaps here, in an area where there is a struggling homeless population, that I first appreciated how challenging it was for a large group of people who did not have the ability to choose to engage in social distancing. It may have been Easter Sunday or the 4th day of Passover, but for people in this neighborhood, they choose to congregate in small group around this park staring out at the lake, occasionally talking to a friend and if they were lucky, they had enough money to buy something to eat from a stall where people gathered together in close proximity waiting patiently in a line, with many having no face masks and no certainty as to how clean the food was that they would ultimately eat.

There was an absence of clean public bathrooms and the area had a permanent unsanitary smell to it. Despite all of this, I did say hello to a few of the people who had come to sit and relax for a few hours. Despite their challenged positions, most of them were smiling and wished me “Happy Easter.”

I felt somewhat helpless in the moment and wished that there was more I could be doing to make the lives of these people a little better. After all, it is groups of people like these who add to the distorted data of the scope of those infected by the virus as many of these people may be sick and will not be tested until, in some cases, it would be too late to do anything about it.

As I walked back to my car to head into the heart of Downtown LA, I passed a couple of swans with baby chicks who were out for a morning stroll who seemed indifferent to what else was going on around them. Perhaps naivety in this case may be better than being confronted with reality!

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” Mother Teresa

#mother teresa #macarthurpark #covid2019 #mydailythought

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