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"Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder." ~ George Washington.

New Yorkers Protest the US$850 BILLION (US$3 TRILLION) Wall Street BAILOUT: Wall Street, NYC - September 25, 2008

Photographer: a. golden, eyewash design - c. 2008.

Upon talking about attending this BAILOUT protest, a Native American associate of mine mentioned that somewhere near the location of the NY Stock Exchange - on Wall Street - was the site for a bloody battle between Native tribes and American invaders. I thought this to be rather profound and rather apropos, considering, well, everything!

After some research, I could not find that this exact location was THE LOCATION, but discovered the following information from the www.hmbd.org website:

"Sankofa" ---> African Burial Ground National Monument

Inscription. [On the marker is the Adinkra symbol "Sankofa," a symbol for the importance of learning from the past]

"For all those who were lost,

For all those who were stolen,

For all those who were left behind,

For all those who were not forgotten."

*Erected 2007 by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.*

Location. 40° 42.864′ N, 74° 0.267′ W. Marker is in New York City, New York, in New York County. Marker is on Federal Plaza/Duane Street 0.04 miles west of African Burial Ground Way/Elk Street, on the right when traveling east. Click for map. Marker inscriptions are part of the African Burial Ground Memorial designed by Rodney Leon and are accessible to pedestrians on the eastern grounds of the Ted Weiss Federal Building (290 Broadway) off Federal Plaza/Duane Street. Marker is in this post office area: New York NY 10007, United States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Richard Montgomery (approx. 0.3 miles away); Remains of Maj. Gen. Richard Montgomery (approx. 0.3 miles away); St. Paul's Chapel (approx. 0.3 miles away); 100 Year-Old Sycamore (approx. 0.3 miles away); Americans of Chinese Ancestry (approx. 0.3 miles away); Lin Ze Xu (approx. 0.3 miles away); Men who died whilst imprisoned in this City (approx. 0.6 miles away); Ohio Company of Associates (approx. 0.6 miles away).

If anyone has any information regarding the battle to which my friend spoke, I'd love to hear about it. In the meantime, I might just have to ask again!

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Friends,

The richest 400 Americans -- that's right, just four-hundred people -- own MORE than the bottom 150 million Americans COMBINED! 400 of the wealthiest Americans have got more stashed away than half the entire country! Their combined net worth is $1.6 trillion. During the eight years of the Bush Administration, their wealth has increased by nearly $700 billion -- the same amount that they were demanding We give to them for the "bailout." Why don't they just spend the money they made under Bush to bail themselves out? They'd still have nearly a trillion dollars left over to spread amongst themselves!

Of course, they are not going to do that -- at least not voluntarily. George W. Bush was handed a $127 billion surplus when Bill Clinton left office. Because that money was OUR money and not HIS, he did what the rich prefer to do -- spend it and never look back. Now we have a $9.5 trillion debt that will take seven generations from which to recover. Why -- on --earth – did -- our -- "representatives" -- give -- these -- robber -- barons -- $US850 BILLION -- of – OUR -- money?

Last week, proposed my own bailout plan. My suggestions, listed below, were predicated on the singular and simple belief that the rich must pull themselves up by their own platinum bootstraps. Sorry, fellows, but you drilled it into our heads one too many times: THERE...IS...NO…FREE... LUNCH ~ PERIOD! And thank you for encouraging us to hate people on welfare! So, there should have been NO HANDOUTS FROM US TO YOU! Last Friday, after voting AGAINST this BAILOUT, in an unprecedented turn of events, the House FLIP-FLOPPED their "No" Vote & said "Yes", in a rush version of a "bailout" bill vote. IN SPITE OF THE PEOPLE'S OVERWHELMING DISAPPROVAL OF THIS BAILOUT BILL... IN SPITE OF MILLIONS OF CALLS FROM THE PEOPLE CRASHING WASHINGTON "representatives'" PHONE LINES...IN SPITE OF CRASHING OUR POLITICIAN'S WEBSITES...IN SPITE OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE PROTESTING AROUND THE COUNTRY... THEY VOTED FOR THIS BAILOUT! The People first succeeded on Monday with the House, but failed do it with the Senate and then THE HOUSE TURNED ON US TOO!

It is clear, though, we cannot simply continue protesting without proposing exactly what it is we think THESE IDIOTS should/'ve do/one. So, after consulting with a number of people smarter than Phil Gramm, here’s the proposal, now known as "Mike's Rescue Plan." (From Michael Moore's Bailout Plan) It has 10 simple, straightforward points. They are that you DIDN'T, BUT SHOULD'VE:

1. APPOINTED A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO CRIMINALLY INDICT ANYONE ON WALL STREET WHO KNOWINGLY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS COLLAPSE. Before any new money was expended, Congress should have committed, by resolution, to CRIMINALLY PROSECUTE ANYONE who had ANYTHING to do with the attempted SACKING OF OUR ECONOMY. This means that anyone who committed insider trading, securities fraud or any action that helped bring about this collapse should have and MUST GO TO JAIL! This Congress SHOULD HAVE called for a Special Prosecutor who would vigorously go after everyone who created the mess, and anyone else who attempts to scam the public in future. (I like Elliot Spitzer ~ so, he played a little hanky-panky...Wall Street hates him & this is a GOOD thing.)

2. THE RICH SHOULD HAVE PAID FOR THEIR OWN BAILOUT! They may have to live in 5 houses instead of 7. They may have to drive 9 cars instead of 13. The chef for their mini-terriers may have to be reassigned. But there is no way in hell, after forcing family incomes to go down more than $2,000 dollars during the Bush years, that working people and the middle class should have to fork over one dime to underwrite the next yacht purchase.

If they truly needed the $850 billion they say they needed, well, here is an easy way they could have raised it:

a) Every couple makeing over a million dollars a year and every single taxpayer who makes over $500,000 a year should pay a 10% surcharge tax for five years. (It's the Senator Sanders plan. He's like Colonel Sanders, only he's out to fry the right chickens.) That means the rich would have still been paying less income tax than when Carter was president. That would have raise a total of $300 billion.

b) Like nearly every other democracy, they should have charged a 0.25% tax on every stock transaction. This would have raised more than $200 billion in a year.

c) Because every stockholder is a patriotic American, stockholders should have forgone receiving a dividend check for ONE quarter and instead this money would have gone the treasury to help pay for the bullsh*t bailout.

d) 25% of major U.S. corporations currently pay NO federal income tax. Federal corporate tax revenues currently amount to 1.7% of the GDP compared to 5% in the 1950s. If we raised the corporate income tax BACK to the levels of the 1950s, this would give us an extra $500 billion.

All of this combined should have been enough to end the calamity. The rich would have gotten to keep their mansions and their servants and our United States government ("COUNTRY FIRST!") would've have a little leftover to repair some roads, bridges and schools...

3. YOU SHOULD HAVE BAIL OUT THE PEOPLE LOSING THEIR HOMES, NOT THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BUILD AN EIGHTH HOME! There are 1.3 million homes in foreclosure right now. That is what is at the heart of this problem. So, instead of giving the money to the banks as a gift, they should have paid down each of these mortgages by $100,000. They should have forced the banks to renegotiate the mortgage so the homeowner could pay on its current value. To insure that this help wouldn't go to speculators and those who tried to making money by flipping houses, the bailout should have only been for people's primary residences. And, in return for the $100K pay-down on the existing mortgage, the government would have gotten to share in the holding of the mortgage so it could get some of its money back. Thus, the total initial cost of fixing the mortgage crisis at its roots (instead of with the greedy lenders) is $150 billion, not $850 BILLION.

And let's set the record straight. People who have defaulted on their mortgages are not "bad risks." They are our fellow Americans, and all they wanted was what we all want: a home to call their own. But, during the Bush years, millions of the People lost the decent paying jobs they had. SIX MILLION fell into poverty! SEVEN MILLION lost their health insurance! And, every one of them saw their real wages go DOWN by $2,000! Those who DARE look down on these Americans who got hit with one bad break after another should be ASHAMED.! We are a better, stronger, safer and happier society when all of our citizens can afford to live in a home they own.

4. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A STIPULATION THAT IF YOUR BANK OR COMPANY GOT ANY OF OUR MONEY IN A "BAILOUT," THEN WE OWN YOU. Sorry, that's how it's done. If the bank gives me money so I can buy a house, the bank "owns" that house until I pay it all back -- with interest. Same deal for Wall Street. Whatever money you need to stay afloat, if our government considers you a safe risk -- and necessary for the good of the country -- then you can get a loan, but WE SHOULD OWN YOU. If you default, we will sell you. This is how the Swedish government did it and it worked.

5. ALL REGULATIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN BE RESTORED. THE REAGAN REVOLUTION IS DEAD! This catastrophe happened because we let the fox have the keys to the hen-house. In 1999, Phil Gramm authored a bill to remove all the regulations that governed Wall Street and our banking system. The bill passed and Clinton signed it. Here's what Sen.Phil Gramm, McCain's chief economic advisor, said at the bill signing:

"In the 1930s ... it was believed that government was the answer. It was believed that stability and growth came from government overriding the functioning of free markets.

"We are here today to repeal [that] because we have learned that government is not the answer. We have learned that freedom and competition are the answers. We have learned that we promote economic growth and we promote stability by having competition and freedom.

"I am proud to be here because this is an important bill; it is a deregulatory bill. I believe that that is the wave of the future, and I am awfully proud to have been a part of making it a reality."

FOR THIS NOT TO REOCCUR, This BILL SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPEALED! Bill Clinton could have helped by leading the effort for the repeal of the Gramm bill and the reinstating of even tougher regulations regarding our financial institutions. And when they were done with that, they should have restored the regulations for the airlines, the inspection of our food, the oil industry, OSHA, and every other entity that affects our daily lives. All oversight provisions for any "bailout" should have had enforcement monies attached to them and criminal penalties for all offenders.

6. IF IT'S TOO BIG TO FAIL, THEN THAT MEANS IT'S TOO BIG TO EXIST! Allowing the creation of these mega-mergers and not enforcing the monopoly and anti-trust laws has allowed a number of financial institutions and corporations to become so large, the very thought of their collapse means an even bigger collapse across the entire economy. No ONE or TWO companies should EVER have this kind of power! The so-called "economic Pearl Harbor" can't happen when you have hundreds -- thousands -- of institutions where people have their money. When we have a dozen auto companies, if one goes belly-up, we DON'T FACE A NATIONAL DISASTER! If we have three separately-owned daily newspapers in your town, then one media company can't call all the shots (I know... What am I thinking?! Who reads a paper anymore? Sure glad all those mergers and buyouts left us with a STRONG and "FREE" press!). Laws Should have been enacted to prevent companies from being so large and dominant that with one slingshot to the eye, the GIANT FALLS and DIES. And no institution should be allowed to set up money schemes that NO ONE understands. If you can't explain it in two sentences, you shouldn't be taking anyone's money!

7. NO EXECUTIVE SHOULD EVER BE PAID MORE THAN 40 TIMES THEIR AVERAGE EMPLOYEE, AND NO EXECUTIVE SHOULD RECEIVE ANY KIND OF "PARACHUTE" OTHER THAN THE VERY GENEROUS SALARY HE OR SHE MADE WHILE WORKING FOR THE COMPANY. In 1980, the average American CEO made 45 times what their employees made. By 2003, they were making 254 times what their workers made. After 8 years of Bush, they now make over 400 times what their average employee makes. How We have allowed this to happen at publicly held companies is beyond reason. In Britain, the average CEO makes 28 times what their average employee makes. In Japan, it's only 17 times! The last I heard, the CEO of Toyota was living the high life in Tokyo. How does he do it on so little money? Seriously, this is an OUTRAGE! We have created the mess we're in by letting the people at the top become bloated beyond belief with millions of dollars. THIS HAS TO STOP! Not only should no executive who receives help out of this mess profit from it, but any executive who was in charge of running his company into the ground should be FIRED before the company receives ANY help.

8. CONGRESS SHOULD HAVE STRENGTHENED THE FDIC AND MADE IT A MODEL FOR PROTECTING NOT ONLY PEOPLE'S SAVINGS, BUT ALSO THEIR PENSIONS AND THEIR HOMES. Obama was correct to propose expanding FDIC protection of people's savings in their banks to $250,000. But, this same sort of government insurance must be given to our NEVER have to worry about whether or not the money they've put away for their old age will be there. This should have meant strict government oversight of companies who manage their employees' funds -- or perhaps it means the companies should have been forced to turn over those funds and their management to the government? People's private retirement funds must also be protected, but perhaps it's time to consider not having one's retirement invested in the casino known as the stock market??? Our government should have a solemn duty to guarantee that no one who grows old in this country has to worry about becoming destitute.

9. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH, CALM DOWN, AND NOT LET FEAR RULE THE DAY. Turn off your TVs! We are NOT in the Second Great Depression. The sky is NOT falling, Chicken Little! Pundits and politicians have lied to us so FAST and FURIOUS it's hard not to be affected by all the fear mongering. Even I wrote to and repeated what I heard on the news last week, that the Dow had the biggest one day drop in its history. Well, that was true in terms of points, but its 7% drop came nowhere close to Black Monday in 1987 when the stock market in one day lost 23% of its value. In the '80s, 3,000 banks closed, but America didn't go out of business. These institutions have always had their ups and downs and eventually it works out. It has to, because the rich do not like their wealth being disrupted! They have a vested interest in calming things down and getting back into their Jacuzzis before they slip into their million thread-count sheets to drift off to a peaceful, Vodka tonic and Ambien-induced slumber.

As crazy as things are right now, tens of thousands of people got a car loan last week. Thousands went to the bank and got a mortgage to buy a home. Students just back to college found banks more than happy to put them into hock for the next 15 years with a student loan. I was even pre-approved for a US$5K personal loan. Yes, life has gone on with little-or-no-change (other than the whopping 6.1% unemployment rate, but that happened last month). Not a single person lost any of his/her monies in bank, or a treasury note, or in a CD. And, the perhaps the most amazing thing is that the American public FINALLY didn't buy the scare campaign. The citizens didn't blink, instead telling Congress to take that bailout and shove it. THAT was impressive. Why didn't the population succumb to the fright-filled warnings from their president and his cronies? Well, you can only say 'Saddam has the bomb' so many times before the people realize you're a lying sack of shit. After eight long years, the nation is worn out and simply can't take it any longer. The WORLD is fed up & I don't blame them.

10. THEY SHOULD HAVE CREATED A NATIONAL BANK, A "PEOPLE'S BANK." Since they're really itching to print up a trillion dollars, instead of giving it to a few rich people, why don't We give it to ourselves? Now that We own Freddie and Fannie, why not set up a People's bank? One that can provide low-interest loans for all sorts of people who want to own a home, start a small business, go to school, come up with the cure for cancer or create the next great invention. And, now that we own AIG - the country's largest insurance company - let's take the next step and PROVIDE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR EVERYONE. MEDICARE FOR ALL! It will SAVE us SO MUCH MONEY in the LONG RUN (not to mention bring peace of mind to all). And, America won't be 12th on the life expectancy list! We'll be able to have a longer lifespan, enjoying our government-protected pension and will live to see the day when the corporate criminals who caused this much misery are let out of prison so that We can help re-acclimate them to plain old ordinary, civilian life -- a life with ONE nice home and ONE gas-free car invented with help from the People's Bank.

P.S. Call your Senators NOW !!! ---> www.visi.com/juan/congress/

Since they voted against passing the extension of unemployment benefits and skipped out to "campaign" to us to be re-elected...call them and tell them you will vote for the other "guy" if they don't get their act together!

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UPDATE: THE PEOPLE HAVE VOTED! A HISTORIC MOMENT: NOVEMBER 4th 2008!

------> THE Historic ELECTION <------

"A work in PROGRESS."

Nov. 4th, 2008.

A great American leader once said, "As individual fingers We can be easily broken. But TOGETHER We make a mighty fist." These words too were spoken by a minority leader. He was the venerable Chief Sitting Bull. No, Barack Obama's not the first American minority to speak eloquently and he most certainly won't be the last. Though, in the end, this election wasn't even close !!! The world watched as, "YES WE CAN!" turned into, "YES WE DID!" as it now ushers in, "YES WE MUST!" time is NOW!

What WE do with this moment shall define US, forthright. America has now elected a man with a background of partial African - American descent as President elect. A new leader with roots from Kenya to Kansas (with a step-father from Indonesia), will be working in conjunction with a vice-Presidential of Anglo-European roots. This is something in which citizens of ALL races - both here and the world 'round – have loudly REJOICED. Why talk about race? Is race important? You bet! Because - like it or not - race has dominated and governed Our daily lives for thousands of years. After all: "To know where We're going, We must first know where We've been".

We've come a LONG Way baby! What was once "acceptable" in 1965 is no longer in 2008 and THANKFULLY.

This is a changing of the guard. Especially since forty-percent of America's population is considered to be a "minority". Only four generations removed, the repression of African slaves by Anglo Saxons caused hundreds of thousands of brothers to kill brothers in a viscous and bloody battle that changed the fundamental principals of this Constitutional Republic from rhetoric to reality. This too was a significant changing of the guard.

For the first time in the history of the country, the ancestors of these very same people who so passionately fought for slavery have now OVERWHELMINGLY voted for a minority leader. This too ushers in a new chapter in the history of America. This is a tremendous nod to those great American leaders before Us who risked everything so that We find ourselves at this precise moment in time. We must give thanks to these men and women who both tirelessly and unselfishly gave their lives to cross and to help shatter the racial, sexual and social boundaries imbued in the history of the United States of America.

It has now taken place. There's a palpable renewed sense of HOPE for a better tomorrow – a HOPE that these same crippling boundaries shall finally once and for all be erased. Yet it is wise to also remember the adage, "Actions speak louder than words" and Our rhetoric must now be turned into action. The ability to truly rise above differences and to not just speak of doing so, tells much of Our long and continuous journey. If We remember the old North American Indian saying, "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." We might just have a fighting chance.

The People have spoken! A record-setting 130 million Americans' turned out to vote in Tuesday's election, in which Barack Obama made history on a Democratic tidal wave of victory. Polling suggests voters came out in record numbers because of growing concerns over the economy, jobs, health care, energy, and the war in Iraq.

Clearly, the Obama administration and the new Democratic majority in Washington have a chance to make profound changes in Our lives - stretching from Wall Street to Main Street. Yes, this moment shows decency about human possibility and let's face it, We could use just a little decency RIGHT NOW.

Perhaps more importantly, this moment speaks volumes as it's an utter rejection of the right's politics of fear and greed? It will now be decades before there's another Republican majority in Congress. Never have the words, "Ask not what Your country can do for You, but what You can do for Your country," seemed more true for SO MANY. For, We-Are-Our-country. And We're at a MAJOR crossroads. Where, oh where to begin?

OBAMA / BIDEN Campaign.

Here in New York, Working Families voters, members, affiliates, supporters and chapter leaders poured everything they had into critical campaigns that proved successful. Many are now understandably exhausted - though more than a little proud of what was accomplished. And, the results were terrific ~ if not downright Historic. For the first time since the mid-1930, the State Senate will NO LONGER be controlled by Republicans. It's now in the hands of a Democratic Working Families majority! Just-take-one-moment-and-soak-this-in. MASSIVE Democratic majorities in BOTH the HOUSE and the SENATE!

Together, the W.F.P built a solid partnership with Senate Democrats, knocking on more than half a million doors for progressive CHANGE. And, in the end, "We the People" overwhelmingly responded. This is a MILESTONE. There's now a renewed sense of real HOPE resonating from Washington, indeed, around the world. This is powerful. Because, without HOPE, there's simply nothing to gain.

However, We must be careful not to fall prey to disillusionment. If illusions tear People asunder, then disillusion outright kills the human spirit. In other words, divided THEY conquer, united, WE stand. That this historic moment was ushered in during Native American Indian month is apropos. Because, We must not forget the very real foundations of this idealistic country and pay homage to the 500 plus year struggle of Our First Peoples' for the basic rights afforded them in Our own Constitution. Obama's victory is indeed a victory representing the multitudes. It is precisely because his success mirrors the masses, rather than a few wealthy, power-elite that this is so electrifying. A VERY palpable, "Finally!" was the expression heard 'round the world.

The world woke up WEDNESDAY with the real possibility of a very RARE OPPORTUNITY - the best in most Our lifetimes. This is a chance to truly transform America.

But, We mustn't forget the VERY hard realities existing in this country. Just ask any woman…any "person of color"…or, any First Peoples living in this "great" land. For, as long as Native American Indians in Our country still live in policies of containment on reservations without the very basics, such as running water, electricity, or heat… as long as more than 75% of the prison population includes African-Americans, First and Taino Peoples …as long as We continue to allow Our tax dollars spent to be three times more for each of these prisoners per head than on Our own school childrens' education…as long as American women continue to earn less than men for the SAME work…as long as We allow privately held corporations to exist without extreme MAJOR reform…as long as We continue to allow Our children to trample on foreign soil to kill and to be killed in "Our" names…as long as We sit idly by expecting or content to let others to "Do the right thing," for us… as long as We DON'T ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE TOGETHER in challenging and fighting for OUR OWN WELL-BEING for the betterment of future generations… as long as We choose to remain ignorant and in denial to Our faults…TRUE CHANGE can, and will NEVER HAPPEN.

Though, like anything rare and unique, We must first take proper time to Honor…to give thanks to those before us who, without their dedication and sacrifice, made this moment possible. We must come together. Immediate formulation and a real plan to guard and to protect this moment with fierce determination is required. New leaders are needed and will emerge so We ensure moments like this become the norm, rather than a mere token fluke. If We HOPE to transform Tuesday's results into a real break from the shipwreck of the most immediate last thirty years - We MUST start by realizing this election represents just that – a START. It's Round One of Our LONG and CONTINUOUS struggle.

And, Round Two will be just as tough, if not more so. Staying the course can easily be forgotten when People are dying from inadequate health care; when they've found themselves on the streets for lack of shelter and as they grow ever more desperate due to lack of job opportunities. Just ask people of Native or African American descent. Or, one of Our homeless veterans living on America's streets of plenty.

Yes, the house of cards has fallen HARD and FAST. And, President / V.P. elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden have inherited many seemingly insurmountable challenges. REAL CHANGE - not rhetoric - is what's needed. And to get it, We MUST demand it. We MUST march and be watchdogs for the sake of the coming generations. Communication with Our politicians is a MUST. MOST importantly, We MUST stand TOGETHER and be willing to fight to protect what is right and what is good for the MANY, NOT the FEW.

UNITED We STAND, DIVIDED, We FALL.

A President Obama will need to be simultaneously supported AND pushed. His training as a community organizer gives one confidence that he'll not only understand, but should also expect this dynamic. It's imperative for us to mind the trusty, "Follow the money" strategy. Don't forget, President elect Obama dually made history by raising the most unprecedented amount of campaign dollars in the HISTORY of U.S. Presidential elections. According to CNN, if annualized, the Obama campaign's ad spending on the post-primary Presidential campaign would come to US$750 million. This amount is only exceeded amongst large corporations such as Verizon and AT&T - both heavy sponsors of the Republican AND the Democratic national party conventions.

At the start of October, the Democratic National Committee announced it raised US$49.9 million with US$27.5 million sitting in the bank. The party raised money through joint fund-raising events with Obama and was able to use that money to assist his candidacy. These numbers were only possible because he opted out of the public financing system for the fall campaign. John McCain chose to participate in the system, which limited him to US$84 million for the September / October stretch prior to the election. After initially promising to accept public financing if McCain did, Obama changed his mind after setting primary fund-raising records. In fact, by the time the primaries hit, Obama was raising as much as US$5 million each and every day. The Obama / Biden campaign raised more than US$150 million in September alone - a stunning and unprecedented eruption of political giving. This extraordinary fund-raising is bound to set a new standard in politics that could doom the current taxpayer-paid system set up in the 1970's.

HOPEfully NOT.

The party presidential nominees – Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain – together spent more than US$1 BILLION, also an unprecedented figure. According to White House for Sale, a nonpartisan group that tracks political giving, Obama had 605 bundlers, or donors who collect money from friends and associates and bundle them together. Four years ago, Democrat John F. Kerry had 588 bundlers and, in 2000, Al Gore had none. McCain had 851 bundlers working for his campaign, compared to 557 who raised money for the Bush-Cheney re-election committee in 2004. George W. Bush is largely credited with institutionalizing the role of bundlers in 2000, when he recruited a then unprecedented 555 surrogate fundraisers.

Ask Yourselves: Who really benefits most from having donated to the Obama / Biden campaign?

President - elect Barack Obama & John McCain's U.S. Presidential campaign funds details:

OBAMA:

Total:US$750,767,963

Bundlers:605

LobbyistBundlers:17

MCCAIN:

Total: US$372,525,058

Bundlers: 851

Lobbyist Bundlers: 77

See the Center for Responsive Politics Presidential campaign monies for a better perspective:

2008: Obama AND McCain - US$5.3 BILLION

(Obama: US$750,767,963 million / McCain: US$372,525,058 million)

2004: Bush AND Kerry - US$4.2 BILLION

2000: Gore AND Bush - US$67.56 MILLION

1996: Dole AND Clinton - US$61.82 MILLION

1992: Clinton AND Bush - US$55.24 MILLION

* TO SEARCH FOR MEGA-DONERS, CLICK here: www.whitehouseforsale.org/searchDonor.cfm?CandidateSelect... McCain&StateSelect=&SortOrder=Last_Name, First_Name, Middle_Name, Suffix.*

Democrats in Washington and will be under enormous pressure to "play it safe", even as everyone knows We need bold action and some kind of new, New Deal. And, if We allow the "play-it-safe" crowd to dominate, then Obama (and We) will not succeed. Make NO mistake: the corporate big-wigs and free-market fundamentalists see this for exactly what it is: THE FIGHT OF A LIFETIME. They want nothing more than for the Democrats to disappoint, because then the HOPEfulness that Obama represents can be stuffed back in the bottle and cynicism can once again regain its place in Our national political culture.

WE Can't Let This Happen!

Whether it's revamping our health care system…implementing a new fair-based trade policy…creating a sound, realistic and well thought-out immigration plan…jobs programs…organizing rights in Washington, or campaign election reform, family leave or fair taxes, this election has set the stage for an ENTIRELY NEW social contract between the government and the People. This election opens up a real possibility – small, but real - that We could make genuine progress as a society, in terms of equality and freedom and true sustainability. In other words, the democracy We preach, but don't teach. What comes next is up to US. And, We need to seriously ready OURSELVES.

In short, the real meaning of this election hasn't yet been decided.

Overall, there's a lot of work to do. It's imperative that EVERYONE do his share - whether this means attending a neighborhood or union meeting, signing a petition, organizing or riding a bus to a demonstration, going on a lobby visit, making a financial contribution, or just talking to a stranger about the need and desirability of the common good.

Thanks for all you do!

Live your values. Love your country.

And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a D-I-F-F-E-R-E-N-C-E !

Wien, 1. Bezirk, Palais Erzherzog-Albrecht (Albertina), built 1745 - Architect: unknown, Barock/Klassizismus (Albertinaplatz/Hanuschgasse), Das Große Spanische Zimmer by Josef Lex (El buen soldado Švejk)

2

(for further information just follow the link at the end of page!)

The Spanish Apartment

The "Spanish Apartment" arose 1895 under Archduke Friedrich as the residence apartment of the Spanish royal family. Lodged here until 1918 Frederick's sister Maria Christine (1858-1929), wife of the died in 1885 Spanish King Alfonso XII, and her in 1886 born son Alfonso XIII. during her frequent stays in Vienna.

Spanish Apartment © AnnA BlaU; Furniture: On permanent loan from the MAK-Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art

Spanish Apartment

Due to a war damage, of the once seven chambers comprehending apartment after 1952 only two rooms have been preserved, the Small and the Large Apartment that are now again equipped with their original furnitures of Joseph Danhauser.

www.albertina.at / das_palais / prunkraeume / spanisches_appart ...

The Albertina

The architectural history of the Palais

(Pictures you can see by clicking on the link at the end of page!)

Image: The oldest photographic view of the newly designed Palais Archduke Albrecht, 1869

"It is my will that the expansion of the inner city of Vienna with regard to a suitable connection of the same with the suburbs as soon as possible is tackled and at this on Regulirung (regulation) and beautifying of my Residence and Imperial Capital is taken into account. To this end I grant the withdrawal of the ramparts and fortifications of the inner city and the trenches around the same".

This decree of Emperor Franz Joseph I, published on 25 December 1857 in the Wiener Zeitung, formed the basis for the largest the surface concerning and architecturally most significant transformation of the Viennese cityscape. Involving several renowned domestic and foreign architects a "master plan" took form, which included the construction of a boulevard instead of the ramparts between the inner city and its radially upstream suburbs. In the 50-years during implementation phase, an impressive architectural ensemble developed, consisting of imperial and private representational buildings, public administration and cultural buildings, churches and barracks, marking the era under the term "ring-street style". Already in the first year tithe decided a senior member of the Austrian imperial family to decorate the facades of his palace according to the new design principles, and thus certified the aristocratic claim that this also "historicism" said style on the part of the imperial house was attributed.

Image: The Old Albertina after 1920

It was the palace of Archduke Albrecht (1817-1895), the Senior of the Habsburg Family Council, who as Field Marshal held the overall command over the Austro-Hungarian army. The building was incorporated into the imperial residence of the Hofburg complex, forming the south-west corner and extending eleven meters above street level on the so-called Augustinerbastei.

The close proximity of the palace to the imperial residence corresponded not only with Emperor Franz Joseph I and Archduke Albert with a close familial relationship between the owner of the palace and the monarch. Even the former inhabitants were always in close relationship to the imperial family, whether by birth or marriage. An exception here again proves the rule: Don Emanuel Teles da Silva Conde Tarouca (1696-1771), for which Maria Theresa in 1744 the palace had built, was just a close friend and advisor of the monarch. Silva Tarouca underpins the rule with a second exception, because he belonged to the administrative services as Generalhofbaudirektor (general court architect) and President of the Austrian-Dutch administration, while all other him subsequent owners were highest ranking military.

In the annals of Austrian history, especially those of military history, they either went into as commander of the Imperial Army, or the Austrian, later kk Army. In chronological order, this applies to Duke Carl Alexander of Lorraine, the brother-of-law of Maria Theresa, as Imperial Marshal, her son-in-law Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen, also field marshal, whos adopted son, Archduke Charles of Austria, the last imperial field marshal and only Generalissimo of Austria, his son Archduke Albrecht of Austria as Feldmarschalil and army Supreme commander, and most recently his nephew Archduke Friedrich of Austria, who held as field marshal from 1914 to 1916 the command of the Austro-Hungarian troops. Despite their military profession, all five generals conceived themselves as patrons of the arts and promoted large sums of money to build large collections, the construction of magnificent buildings and cultural life. Charles Alexander of Lorraine promoted as governor of the Austrian Netherlands from 1741 to 1780 the Academy of Fine Arts, the Théâtre de Ja Monnaie and the companies Bourgeois Concert and Concert Noble, he founded the Academie royale et imperial des Sciences et des Lettres, opened the Bibliotheque Royal for the population and supported artistic talents with high scholarships. World fame got his porcelain collection, which however had to be sold by Emperor Joseph II to pay off his debts. Duke Albert began in 1776 according to the concept of conte Durazzo to set up an encyclopedic collection of prints, which forms the core of the world-famous "Albertina" today.

Image : Duke Albert and Archduchess Marie Christine show in family cercle the from Italy brought along art, 1776. Frederick Henry Füger.

1816 declared to Fideikommiss and thus in future indivisible, inalienable and inseparable, the collection 1822 passed into the possession of Archduke Carl, who, like his descendants, it broadened. Under him, the collection was introduced together with the sumptuously equipped palace on the Augustinerbastei in the so-called "Carl Ludwig'schen fideicommissum in 1826, by which the building and the in it kept collection fused into an indissoluble unity. At this time had from the Palais Tarouca by structural expansion or acquisition a veritable Residenz palace evolved. Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen was first in 1800 the third floor of the adjacent Augustinian convent wing adapted to house his collection and he had after 1802 by his Belgian architect Louis de Montoyer at the suburban side built a magnificent extension, called the wing of staterooms, it was equipped in the style of Louis XVI. Only two decades later, Archduke Carl the entire palace newly set up. According to scetches of the architect Joseph Kornhäusel the 1822-1825 retreaded premises presented themselves in the Empire style. The interior of the palace testified from now in an impressive way the high rank and the prominent position of its owner. Under Archduke Albrecht the outer appearance also should meet the requirements. He had the facade of the palace in the style of historicism orchestrated and added to the Palais front against the suburbs an offshore covered access. Inside, he limited himself, apart from the redesign of the Rococo room in the manner of the second Blondel style, to the retention of the paternal stock. Archduke Friedrich's plans for an expansion of the palace were omitted, however, because of the outbreak of the First World War so that his contribution to the state rooms, especially, consists in the layout of the Spanish apartment, which he in 1895 for his sister, the Queen of Spain Maria Christina, had set up as a permanent residence.

Picture: The "audience room" after the restoration: Picture: The "balcony room" around 1990

The era of stately representation with handing down their cultural values found its most obvious visualization inside the palace through the design and features of the staterooms. On one hand, by the use of the finest materials and the purchase of masterfully manufactured pieces of equipment, such as on the other hand by the permanent reuse of older equipment parts. This period lasted until 1919, when Archduke Friedrich was expropriated by the newly founded Republic of Austria. With the republicanization of the collection and the building first of all finished the tradition that the owner's name was synonymous with the building name:

After Palais Tarouca or tarokkisches house it was called Lorraine House, afterwards Duke Albert Palais and Palais Archduke Carl. Due to the new construction of an adjacently located administration building it received in 1865 the prefix "Upper" and was referred to as Upper Palais Archduke Albrecht and Upper Palais Archduke Frederick. For the state a special reference to the Habsburg past was certainly politically no longer opportune, which is why was decided to name the building according to the in it kept collection "Albertina".

Picture: The "Wedgwood Cabinet" after the restoration: Picture: the "Wedgwood Cabinet" in the Palais Archduke Friedrich, 1905

This name derives from the term "La Collection Albertina" which had been used by the gallery Inspector Maurice von Thausing in 1870 in the Gazette des Beaux-Arts for the former graphics collection of Duke Albert. For this reason, it was the first time since the foundation of the palace that the name of the collection had become synonymous with the room shell. Room shell, hence, because the Republic of Austria Archduke Friedrich had allowed to take along all the movable goods from the palace in his Hungarian exile: crystal chandeliers, curtains and carpets as well as sculptures, vases and clocks. Particularly stressed should be the exquisite furniture, which stems of three facilities phases: the Louis XVI furnitures of Duke Albert, which had been manufactured on the basis of fraternal relations between his wife Archduchess Marie Christine and the French Queen Marie Antoinette after 1780 in the French Hofmanufakturen, also the on behalf of Archduke Charles 1822-1825 in the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory by Joseph Danhauser produced Empire furnitures and thirdly additions of the same style of Archduke Friedrich, which this about 1900 at Portois & Ffix as well as at Friedrich Otto Schmidt had commissioned.

The "swept clean" building got due to the strained financial situation after the First World War initially only a makeshift facility. However, since until 1999 no revision of the emergency equipment took place, but differently designed, primarily the utilitarianism committed office furnitures complementarily had been added, the equipment of the former state rooms presented itself at the end of the 20th century as an inhomogeneous administrative mingle-mangle of insignificant parts, where, however, dwelt a certain quaint charm. From the magnificent state rooms had evolved depots, storage rooms, a library, a study hall and several officed.

Image: The Albertina Graphic Arts Collection and the Philipphof after the American bombing of 12 März 1945.

Image: The palace after the demolition of the entrance facade, 1948-52

Worse it hit the outer appearance of the palace, because in times of continued anti-Habsburg sentiment after the Second World War and inspired by an intolerant destruction will, it came by pickaxe to a ministerial erasure of history. In contrast to the graphic collection possessed the richly decorated facades with the conspicuous insignia of the former owner an object-immanent reference to the Habsburg past and thus exhibited the monarchial traditions and values of the era of Francis Joseph significantly. As part of the remedial measures after a bomb damage, in 1948 the aristocratic, by Archduke Albert initiated, historicist facade structuring along with all decorations was cut off, many facade figures demolished and the Hapsburg crest emblems plunged to the ground. Since in addition the old ramp also had been cancelled and the main entrance of the bastion level had been moved down to the second basement storey at street level, ended the presence of the old Archduke's palace after more than 200 years. At the reopening of the "Albertina Graphic Collection" in 1952, the former Hapsburg Palais of splendour presented itself as one of his identity robbed, formally trivial, soulless room shell, whose successful republicanization an oversized and also unproportional eagle above the new main entrance to the Augustinian road symbolized. The emocratic throw of monuments had wiped out the Hapsburg palace from the urban appeareance, whereby in the perception only existed a nondescript, nameless and ahistorical building that henceforth served the lodging and presentation of world-famous graphic collection of the Albertina. The condition was not changed by the decision to the refurbishment because there were only planned collection specific extensions, but no restoration of the palace.

Image: The palace after the Second World War with simplified facades, the rudiment of the Danubiusbrunnens (well) and the new staircase up to the Augustinerbastei

This paradigm shift corresponded to a blatant reversal of the historical circumstances, as the travel guides and travel books for kk Residence and imperial capital of Vienna dedicated itself primarily with the magnificent, aristocratic palace on the Augustinerbastei with the sumptuously fitted out reception rooms and mentioned the collection kept there - if at all - only in passing. Only with the repositioning of the Albertina in 2000 under the direction of Klaus Albrecht Schröder, the palace was within the meaning and in fulfillment of the Fideikommiss of Archduke Charles in 1826 again met with the high regard, from which could result a further inseparable bond between the magnificent mansions and the world-famous collection. In view of the knowing about politically motivated errors and omissions of the past, the facades should get back their noble, historicist designing, the staterooms regain their glamorous, prestigious appearance and culturally unique equippment be repurchased. From this presumption, eventually grew the full commitment to revise the history of redemption and the return of the stately palace in the public consciousness.

Image: The restored suburb facade of the Palais Albertina suburb

The smoothed palace facades were returned to their original condition and present themselves today - with the exception of the not anymore reconstructed Attica figures - again with the historicist decoration and layout elements that Archduke Albrecht had given after the razing of the Augustinerbastei in 1865 in order. The neoclassical interiors, today called after the former inhabitants "Habsburg Staterooms", receiving a meticulous and detailed restoration taking place at the premises of originality and authenticity, got back their venerable and sumptuous appearance. From the world wide scattered historical pieces of equipment have been bought back 70 properties or could be returned through permanent loan to its original location, by which to the visitors is made experiencable again that atmosphere in 1919 the state rooms of the last Habsburg owner Archduke Frederick had owned. The for the first time in 80 years public accessible "Habsburg State Rooms" at the Palais Albertina enable now again as eloquent testimony to our Habsburg past and as a unique cultural heritage fundamental and essential insights into the Austrian cultural history. With the relocation of the main entrance to the level of the Augustinerbastei the recollection to this so valuable Austrian Cultural Heritage formally and functionally came to completion. The vision of the restoration and recovery of the grand palace was a pillar on which the new Albertina should arise again, the other embody the four large newly built exhibition halls, which allow for the first time in the history of the Albertina, to exhibit the collection throughout its encyclopedic breadh under optimal conservation conditions.

Image: The new entrance area of the Albertina

64 meter long shed roof. Hans Hollein.

The palace presents itself now in its appearance in the historicist style of the Ringstrassenära, almost as if nothing had happened in the meantime. But will the wheel of time should not, cannot and must not be turned back, so that the double standards of the "Albertina Palace" said museum - on the one hand Habsburg grandeur palaces and other modern museum for the arts of graphics - should be symbolized by a modern character: The in 2003 by Hans Hollein designed far into the Albertina square cantilevering, elegant floating flying roof. 64 meters long, it symbolizes in the form of a dynamic wedge the accelerated urban spatial connectivity and public access to the palace. It advertises the major changes in the interior as well as the huge underground extensions of the repositioned "Albertina".

Christian Benedictine

Art historian with research interests History of Architecture, building industry of the Hapsburgs, Hofburg and Zeremonialwissenschaft (ceremonial sciences). Since 1990 he works in the architecture collection of the Albertina. Since 2000 he supervises as director of the newly founded department "Staterooms" the restoration and furnishing of the state rooms and the restoration of the facades and explores the history of the palace and its inhabitants.

www.wien-vienna.at/albertinabaugeschichte.php

Patti in Cozumel 1-25-2012 by merrickph

2

Hello,

It is four in the afternoon of Wednesday the 23rd of January 2013, an overcast day punctuated by intermittent showers. Thunder storms are predicted for tomorrow. Looks like I will be sticking close to home.

I suspect I may have found the cause of the super sluggish sending and receiving of these reports I have been encountering. It was not all that old mail I waded my way through while deleting. There was no discernible difference between the before and after of that little project. I think it is the result of an inner email program conflict as a result of composing these daily reports right there on a regular email form.

Silly me, why did I not consider that. What was wrong with the old cut and paste procedure anyway. When I took note of the struggle taking place today I finally realized. Things had gotten pretty crazy. I was getting pop up noticed from my own computer saying things about actions I had taken while offline and saving drafts to a rescued file. Sure enough there were numerous partial drafts of the last couple of reports written. That was kind of odd as I had not even tried to send the one that went out today and the other was long gone. I thought it would be smart to start with a short one to myself. It said nothing more that ‘a test’. As I watched the utter confusion and read those pop up warnings it finally clicked.

As a point of fact and just so you know. Lately, once I finally got that first big daily report out of the machine I was able to send and receive normally. Why I thought it was the size of the given email is beyond me but that was the best I could come up with.

Now of course I think it was a result of working offline in my mail program. So, I am writing this in a new file I have opened in my word processor program. I will cut and past to an email when the time comes and see how it goes. If successful that will be swell. I can copy them from that file to the Hello file and then start a new one. Easy peasey, perhaps.

I am getting a little edgy. I am down to two tylenol and you know I did not go to Chedraui, nor will I until the weather clears. I will hold off on a San Francisco or Soriana run. They are close enough even if I have to go in a driving rain. I am going to see if I can manage without.

You are probably wondering if I bought that new iPod Touch. Yes I did. I got a red one like my little iPod shuffle. I ordered it to be engraved identical to my little shuffle too. PATTI. Nothing more. I feel I have done a little something for the world today. You may or may not be aware of the fact that a part of your Apple purchase when you choose the color red goes toward fighting aides in Africa. Yes indeed, I made a humanitarian gesture. I was on the brink of ordering the blue. I would have if the red had been unavailable as it sometimes is.

I picked up an email from Randy and Cheryl while I was down at the coffee place. Cheryl suggests I might like Isla de Mujeres as a possible next place to live. That thought had occurred to me too. It is much smaller that this island and still just a ferry ride to Cancun on the mainland. The research has begun.

Be advised. I did send off scads of pictures so my emissary will be posting those for me.

I did splurge at the bakery ladies little window. I brought a double brownie that is just short of heavenly. I have consumed one little strip so far. I will make it last. Some today, some tomorrow, and so on. A little at a time should not throw me into a sugar frenzy. Lets hope not anyway. In general the sweet things down here tend to contain a great deal less sugar than the ones up and over there.

Spaghetti is on the menu for the evening meal. I am reading a book set in County Kerry, Ireland. I believe I am in for yet another fun and action packed night at home. My favorite way to pass the time. No complaints here. I am just a little concerned about this neck problem. I wish I had a heating pad and some of that spray on pain aid stuff my mother gave me. Never mind, I am bucking up as I write this. I will be just fine.

It is only five but I think I am going to start the pasta water. Do not worry I have the colander with handle all laid out. I am going to give it a try right inside the other. It might work and it might not. On that note, I will be in the west of Ireland if anyone needs me.

I will leave you with this Irish proverb. If you hit my dog, you hit myself.

Good Thursday morning this 24th day of January in the year 2013 at nine o’clock in the morning. There was a patch of blue when I lifted the curtain to look out the window, craned my neck and caught a glimpse of that square of sky way up there above the planter between this apartment and the one next door. That is more blue sky than I saw all day yesterday. Looks like we will have to wait and see about those thunder storms.

My spaghetti turned out great. It was simple as could be. I kept it down to a bare minimum of ingredients. I cooked the pasta until almost done and then set the pan aside. I heated a bit of olive oil in the big sauté pan and then tossed in the thinly sliced mushrooms. I gave those a quick blast and then squirted in part of the container of the spaghetti sauce. While heating that through I drained the pasta and I am pleased to report my double colander idea worked like a charm. I dumped the drained pasta in the pan on top of the sauce, topped it with a little olive oil coating the spaghetti as best I could, then mixed it all together. It was just like the package promised. A quick wholesome meal that was not only different (by Mexican standards), delicious, and nutritious but loaded with antioxidants and so forth. Brought to me by those fine folks at Hunt’s and their more than 100 years of experience in the development and manufacture of tomato products. How could I have gone wrong? I shook some parmesan cheese on top and it was a toothsome treat.

I managed to save some spaghetti for my lunch today. I put some of those nice Peruvian beans to soak so they will be the backbone of the evening meal. Perhaps another minestrone sort of soup. I have a piece of cabbage, onion, garlic, a tomato, and some macaroni. Top that with some more of the parmesan and I will be in business. If the weather holds and I happen to make it to Chedraui I could get some of that fabulous veg bread to eat with it. Oh yes! If not I have a couple of different kinds of local crackers should the mood strike. Oh wow! I can almost taste a little sandwich with the veg bread and sharp cheddar cheese. Let me stick my head out and check that sky again. Um hum, still some blue out there. I would be blowing the budget with tylenol and cheese both but what the heck I only spent 45 pesos/$3.56 yesterday and cheese is an excellent source of protein along with its other attributes. Now watch, I will hike over there and they will have sold out of all the sharp cheddar. No, I refuse to even joke about such a serious matter. Think positive, that is my motto.

Last night I finished my visit to the west of Ireland not turning out the light until I had read the last page. Then I switched over to and reclined in my sleeping hammock and waited for sleep to overtake me. It took its own sweet time. I began to wonder if it was another waning gibbous moon. Minus a handy dandy gadget I was unable to quickly ascertain the exact stage in order to further my research.

It is half past ten now or half ten as they would say in Ireland. I have been poking around and am just now heating the water for my second cup. I will get the shower water going next. Then we will see what the day holds in store for me.

Vale is running almost as late as my exercise buddies. I lost track of what day she was due here at ten o’clock in the morning but it must be coming up on a week ago. Let me take a peak just for fun. Very interesting. The boys are two weeks late today and Vale is one week late. And that is just the way it is here in the land of mañana but maybe I should stop scheduling meetings for Thursdays. Those do not seem to be working out so well. I guess I will eventually go check on Vale if she does not come looking for me first.

Boy was I spaced or what. I have been standing right here at the counter typing away while my coffee water boiled. I could smell it and thought, oh good the shower water will be ready soon. Shortly before eleven I reached for my cup and was surprised to find it empty. I looked up at the stove and only then did it dawn on me that it was not the shower water heating up over there. Looks like I will be a little later in leaving the house than I had anticipated.

There is no way in the world I am putting on a backpack until I have dosed up good with some tylenol. That means if I hit some wifi today it will not be until later. First things first. Then too I have yet to determine if this ten dollar backpack is waterproof or not. For safeties sake I have been enclosing this marvelous but rapidly becoming antiquated machine in one of my kayak dry bags. I have a plastic bag in there too just in case. If I do make an afternoon run today and one of those predicted thunderstorms materializes I will ideally, be just fine. I am not interested in conducting any tests with my live laptop though. Some kind of test dummy would preferable. I will hold off on that until my neck and shoulders are back to normal. Best to leave this baby right here in the house than run the risk of ruin.

Well I guess the water is ready and if I do not make a move I will still be standing right here.

It is shortly past noon now. I am having a plan B lunch. It seemed like a good idea to pressure cook the beans while my hair dries. Then it seemed like an impossibility to heat the spaghetti at the same time. Rather than delay my departure any further I flipped from Italian to Spanish lunch. I made a plate of crackers and cream cheese with little bite sized pieces of Spanish chorizo with pickled cucumbers and onions on the side. Um um, good!

I was thinking that if I ever find any chili powder I can make those chili beans I have been craving. You are probably thinking, what is she talking about find some chili powder I thought she was in Mexico. Well yes, and no. Yes I am , and no it is not that part of Mexico. They do sell pinto beans here but the bean of choice is the black. The usual dried legume selection consists of black, pinto, peruvian, an occasional small white one bean, garbanzo, tiny brown lentils, and the rare split green pea. That about covers it. If I ever see any red beans I will snap them right up. In the grain department we have slight variety of choice in white only rice and the occasional cracked wheat. They just got the latter in at Soriana and I may make tabouli one day if the supply lasts that long. We can thank the early Lebanese immigrants for the lentil, garbanzo, and cracked wheat. This area was not much of a melting pot so the influences were limited.

Speaking of which, did I ever tell you why the imported straight from Holland edam cheese is so redly available here? I would really prefer some reference material but short of that I will tell you what I remember. It goes something like this. Way back in the 1800’s or so a ship ran aground on one of the reefs off the coast. Or maybe there was a storm, they lost steerage and ran up on a beach. Maybe it was pirates that got um, these waters were thick with them for awhile there. I could continue to speculate but I will not. The end result was, a ship full of edam cheese bound for elsewhere ended up here instead. The people liked it very much. They developed a taste for it which created a demand. It has been considered a delicacy ever since. If someone really likes you they may give you one for Christmas, not an uncommon gift. Should you find yourself in this part of the world and if you are lucky, you may encounter a stuffed cheese on a menu or more likely as a daily special. If you do please order it immediately. You will not be sorry. They take one of those $30 US and I do not exaggerate, grapefruit sized balls of cheese and turn it into a culinary masterpiece.

Why don’t I give you the recipe I used when I made it in my little garden apartment in Alameda. That will save me further description and allow you to reproduce it in the privacy of your own home and at your leisure, should you feel so inclined. I will remind you that the olives are green. The sweet chili is the small wrinkly bell so use one of those instead. The closest you will come with the xcatic chili will be a hungarian wax. Try cheesecloth for steaming the filled cheese. Armed with that knowledge you should be good to go.

Recipe for Queso Relleno

1 Edam cheese with middle scooped out

Oil

¾ k. ground pork

For the stuffing:

1 chopped onion

1 crushed garlic clove

4 tbs. lard

1 chopped sweet chile

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Salt and pepper

¼ cup vinegar

50 grs olives

50 grs raisins

3 tbs. capers

400 grs tomatoes

3 chopped hard boiled eggs

Fry the onion in the lard, add the garlic, sweet chile, the meat, and then everything else.

Fill the cheese with this mixture and cover with a cloth, then steam it to soften the cheese.

K’óol (white sauce)

1 lt. chicken broth

1 bunch epazote

50 g olives

20 g capers

3 tbs. flour

Salt

Oil

Add the epazote, olives, and capers to the broth. On the side, dilute the flour in a little water, and add to the broth little by little, stirring constantly. Add the salt and a little oil. Keep on low heat.

Tomato sauce:

½ kg tomatoes

½ onion

1 chile xcatik

Oil

Epazote

2 tsp. consomme

Salt

Blend the tomatoes with a little water, the onion and the chile. Fry this mixture with the epazote. Season with the consomme and the salt. Simmer uncovered at low heat, stirring until thick, approx. 30 min.

Serve the stuffed cheese with the 2 sauces on top.

So, there you are let me know how it turns out. I myself am turning off the burner under the beans and hitting the trail.

I rolled back in about four o’clock bearing treasures. I decided to stop at Mega first to see what they had in the way of Tylenol. Oh my goodness, they had not only twenty caplet bottles but also fifty and one hundred. Wowzer! The one hundred cost 212 and the fifty 82. Guess which one I got. You know it, they could not fool me with that one. Nor did I have that kind of peso power behind me. They also had a little packet of ground chili. No details. For 4.48 pesos I could not go wrong, so I bought that too.

When I got over to Chedraui I happened to pass by a sale table on the fringes of the produce area. They had stacks of different sizes of those clear plastic hinged sort of boxes like you are likely to see in a produce department in the land of my birth but less seldom here. Everything was 5 pesos. The one that caught my eye was filled with those fabulous Spanish chilies that my brother Spike/Philip and I so enjoy when dining al fresco at the Market Bar in The City. I snatched them right up. The first half package are about ready to come out of the pan. I just tasted one and they ‘are them’ and I have a couple dozen. My brother knows I will be through them in nothing flat. Oh happy day!

Double wow! I just cut up some sharp cheddar and tossed it right in the bowl with the chilies. They taste great together. You can not begin to imagine what a popping burst of flavor sharp cheddar can impart when you have not experienced it for months. I am also embarrassed to say I am down to the last three of the first dozen chilies. I love these things.

I scored big time but they did not have the bread. I asked and they said, oh the rustic bread, no sorry. So I got a bread twist with cheese and sesame seeds and a biscuit with cheese. The biscuit is not even a distant cousin of that basic staple of the deep south and so good when topped with gravy. I will take a picture.

I am going to put the soup together then make a quick Soriana run. I need limes and mineral water and those are key items in this household. First I am pleased to report that the first dozen chilies sated me and I will be able to save the rest for casual snacking.

Soup is in the pan and I am tired. To heck with the Soriana run. I have enough of those basic stables to hold me until tomorrow. I am going to recline in one of my hammocks.

Good midmorning this Friday the 25th of January 2013 at ten o’clock. I slept well and awoke to one of those stand at the gate and shout visitors. Not my visitor mind you. It served as an excellent wake up call. I had actually been up closer to four than five. I thought it was morning, yes it is that light in this area of the fish bowl. Luckily I looked at the clock before I brushed my teeth. It was blissfully silent so I turned off the white noise machine and went back to sleep. I may have slept through the call from the gate had I not done so. Hard to say.

I will tell you that I have been remiss in my monitoring of the moped variety parked outside this front door. I realized as much when I got home yesterday and noticed the current model was half and half, silver in the back and red in the front. So, to date we have silver, red, and silver/red. Now if I narrow it down to distinguishing characteristics we may be able to determine if these are in fact the same silver, red, and silver/red, or a variety there of. All in a days work. This detecting can be an interesting business.

It was a very good thing that I decided to pass on the trip to Soriana. That delayed but massive cloudburst passed over about the time I would have been there browsing the isles. It hovered overhead for quite some time too. When I can hear a hard rain on the roof way down here on the lower level you can bet it is really coming down. A nice time to be tucked in, warm and dry.

I enjoyed my soup last night. Good thing too because I have three small containers of it in the fridge. I also have a dozen chilies ready to eat when the urge comes upon me. This morning I was wondering why I did not save one for propagation purposes. Silly me. If I find myself back over at Chedraui before they sell the last few containers I will rectify the situation. They may or may not carry them regularly. The full price would have been close to 60 pesos and that puts it into the luxury category under my current economic circumstances.

A plant or few of them in my garden would be heavenly. I am likely to have one of those again one of these day, gardens I mean. You probably noticed I have never mentioned actually planting anything in this little interior plot right outside my door. Well, it is not really very nice soil. It is a bit of a catchall for rubbish. The minute I got a nice plant in there the kids or their ball would land on it. I will be away for too long when I go to California. At least those are some of the excuses I have given myself. Are they good valid concerns or should I just do it. Hard to say. Once the disillusionment set in the idea just sort of fell by the wayside.

There is still a glimmer, a spark of desire to spend more time living on this island. I could move away from this neighborhood and down toward the waterfront. I have begun to consider this area the belly of the beast and if that is the case the little park would be the belly button.

It is an entirely different atmosphere as you near the water. I can leave this apartment and walk straight down 4th. I start out in this working class neighborhood and end up in a quaint, old but hip seaside village. It is, on this particular street, a mere six short blocks before you arrive at the blue waters of the Caribbean. Half way there you crest a very slight rise and in front of you at the end of the street is the ocean. The sidewalks become brick and the buildings ooze character. Interesting little restaurants worthy of any international resort destination are sprinkled around the area.

It is only a few blocks but a world away from here. I like it down there and beach or no it would be a good place to spend some time. It feels vibrant down there even when there are not many people about. It is kind of a nook between the cruise ship hordes and the northern hotel zone.

I went into a shopping center on a corner. It was a big two story affair with a very high end look to it. Once through the door I transformed myself into a just browsing tourist. The entire building housed jewelry and fine watch stores. On the second level one can watch the jewelers at work or dine at the restaurant. It is a Jewish restaurant with a little packaged foods area beside the reception desk. If you are in need of matzo crackers that would be the place to go. I looked at the menu and the majority of the dishes were the same as you would find on any other menu around here. I can only assume they are kosher. Why would I think that? Because you see not only is the complex full of jewelry stores but diamonds, diamonds, and more diamonds. I now understand the group or two of Hasidic Jews I have seen here on the island.

All those high dollar jewelry stores strung along Melgar (the avenue running along the water) would account for the heavy police patrols even without all the tourists to protect. All the better jewelry stores have their own security guards posted at the front door. Many fully suited up in bulletproof vest, weapon in hand.

There was a fairly recent article in the newspaper suggesting all the businesses employ their own security guards as the police were being spread a bit thin with the rise in crime. I mentioned the other day about the police patrolling fairly regularly in this neighborhood. Well, let me tell you it does not compare to that waterfront area we are talking about. They are not only more prominent there as they patrol the streets in their pickup trucks, but there is one standing in the back rifle at the ready. When I took my long exploratory walk to the north the other day I witnessed a good example of their effectiveness and interest in maintaining a nice environment for those peso spending visitors on which the island depends. A very drunk fellow was sitting on the bench that is part of the seawall. He slurred a hello as I passed on my way north. On my return he was sound asleep/passed out in the same spot. Within moments a municipal police truck pulled over and when I last looked were picking him up and moving him out. That sort of thing does not happen in my neighborhood. I am pretty sure he could have laid here all day and into the night. Although I often wonder how the federal police got there so quick when I had my mishap. Ah, the mysteries of life.

Hum, I wonder what the sky looks like up there today. I got real lucky yesterday. I was caught in a light tropical shower as I was leaving Chedraui. It continued pelting me with great big wide spaced drops until I made my turn at the main plaza.

What I can see looks kind of solid grey. I would like to go over to the coffee place and send this so that will be my first goal of the day. Subject to change naturally. I also think it might be about time I look Vale up. Even if, hey what am I saying, lets give the benefit of the doubt. Since she is taking morning and evening classes and then earning some money in the late afternoon helping out a relative of the BF I will need to time my visit. Come to think of it I could just wait until tomorrow when there is no school. All righty then I postponed that quite nicely.

BTW that biscuit was pretty interesting. I detected no cheese in it (or the twist) so I would wager it was a matter of mislabeling. The dough had a distinct flavor of uncooked biscuit dough. Not half bad and you know, I think some gravy might go nicely with them. Something to keep in mind next time I have a package of bacon in the fridge. These biscuits are readily available so it would not be like trying to pair my sharp cheddar and the rustic veg bread.

I am heating the last of the spaghetti while I wait for my hair to dry. There is not much but I can always move on to soup to fill any remaining gaps. I guess I should make some more spaghetti while that open container of sauce if fresh. I am almost out of parmesan but I can always splurge for some more. It lasts a long time and perks up many a dish.

While thinking of food I realize I forgot to tell you about the dried beans I saw at Mega yesterday. They were so pretty. At first I thought they were those red beans I have been wanting. When I got close I saw they were speckled and quite purple. They are called flor de mayo, same as the plumeria. I was not about to lug them home but I am going to look for them in Soriana or San Francisco.

I have moved on to the soup. I just opened that little packet of ground chili and sprinkled some on top. If it is not cayenne I do not know what it is. That is fine by me as I had been wishing for some. I also got a soup shot as I realized I had neglected to photograph it last night. Ah yes, as I make my way into the bowl I can say this is some spicy chili. If you foolishly put a good spoon full of this stuff in your batch of beans you would be in for a real surprise. I will remember to sprinkle it more sparingly in future.

Speaking of moving, my mystery moped neighbors may be doing just that. The silver and red is backed up to my door and they are moving out the furniture. So much for that entertaining research project/handy alarm clock.

I am on to the cheddar cheese and chili dessert plate now. It is every bit as good as yesterday. I threw in a sliced Chiapas banana for contrast and potassium. You are what you eat!

Maybe I will experiment with some of the other chilies available at the markets. I really should be familiar with all the subtleties of flavor. I could roast up a couple of each in the manner I prepared these. What a great way to figure out what dishes they might be best suited to. Back in Cabo I pan roasted serranos and those long skinny dried red ones for snacking on. One of the chilies here is a green version of the latter. I think they may hail from the Vera Cruz area. I have eaten plenty of jalapeños done that way, they are always good.

As I was dressing this morning in the same travel shorts I have been wearing most days, I decided to really take advantage of them. I am stuck on these because of their pockets. There is no good reason I can think of not to use one of those pockets for my camera. It is about time I carefully record some more exterior images for yours and my viewing pleasure. I could actually show you what that lower neighborhood looks like. I use the word lower loosely as this island is almost as flat as a pancake, more in a directional sense, and there is that slight little rise. You could of course hop on Google Maps, enter my address, switch to street view, and virtually cruise right on down the street all the way to the water. Should you do so I suggest you then make a right turn in the direction of the Looks Like Bermuda/although I have never actually been there, part of the island.

A small bowl of spaghetti, a small bowl of soup, eight chilies, two slices of cheddar cheese, and one small Chiapas banana under the belt and time to get going. It is a quarter to two, a fine hour for the coffee place. Hard to say but I think there is a sunny glow to the light filtering down to the center walk way. Until next time then.

Love

YS, YD, YM, YA

Wien, 1. Bezirk (the art of very renowned palace and museum buildings in the old center of Vienna), Palais Erzherzog-Albrecht (Albertina), Albertinaplatz/Hanuschgasse by Alfred Lex