Sunday, May 31, 2009

A MEMORABLE CONVERSATION

I WAS TAKING notes in my notebook, sitting in an uncomfortable homemade sofa in the lobby of a far away hospital in Aibonito City.
For the last twenty years, in Puerto Rico there is a trend to write direction signs and those in city vehicles in English, for some urge of being closer to USA.

Any way, this guy asked politely if he could sit to have his recently bought fast food. If I did not mind. I said no with some feeling of surprise. Such manners are not the rule in the asphalt/concrete isle. The conversation started, I put aside my notes.

Mr. Marrero, pale skinned, around 5'10", perhaps 190, with glasses, a smooth voice, good diction and ability to tell anecdotes, came from Tampa where he lives with his family. His house is one of those with turf and a swimming pool. Retired from
from all you can be: US Army. Had spent the last five days at the hospital
taking care of his mother, and of his wife before that, after some serious
surgery.

At my age it is rare to find Puerto Rico nationals with the ability to keep
a conversation with space to listen besides the talking. This was one of
those realy rare situations.

He had left the island from his hometown of Barranquitas, another small
town in our neck of the woods, at the age of seventeen. Went to Philadelphia, thanks to the kindness of a friend who bought the airfare.

One of the first adventures in that foreign, cold land, was witnessing the
murder of another national in some bar fight spilled on the street. The victim received one of those mortal cuts from ear to ear. When he asked
his roomate, about the occurrence, the response indicated that it was usual, customary to see that type of incident once a month.

We talked about discrimination. Why do people discriminate foreigners.
I mentioned that it is logical to dislike people who go to your country with
inddiference towards the habits of the host nation. I mentioned the first
experience I had in Chicago, the miserably cold, windy, beautiful city.

It was just a party in the apartment of some puerto rican fellow. When I entered the lobby of the apartment building with Adolfo Jimenez (RIP), at the time the director of the Bilingual Program, al was fine. However, when we exited in the fourth floor, the stench of fried food and lard had
covered the whole floor. I found it disgusting.

Imagine the smell of Indian food and so many excellent gastromical dishes
from so many countries in heated aparments in a country that certainly
cooks or used to cook without species of any kind, bland food, without smell except during cook outs.

That is one. The other is the absurd habit of speaking loudly as hicks do
in their country surroundings far away from each other. Or the other,
listening to music all the way up, placing the speakers on the window
sill, creating havoc among the native population. Too often is music I do not like for reasons of taste, in one hand.
On the other, the ignorant use of a stereo system that in the past had trebble and bass control, to eliminate distortion and vibrations, a really
annoying thing.

Perhaps the best story to explain discrimination, is the one of some islander from New York and her husband an Ecuadorian, who moved next door to Mr. Marrero. They have loud parties constantly, allow the turf
to deteriorate and the swimming pool became an algae pond, green and
thick! People from apartments, who had lived all their life in such, have
no idea on the expense and requirements of keeping up a house.

To put the end close by...We also talked about nature, insects, birds, squirrels finding ways to eat the bird food, insecticides, herbicides and the results to careless people. USA government and the need to
impose democracy in countries without oil, but allowing the Arabs and
such, their feudal ways, without rights for women and others.

There are other details that escape my mind. But three remarkable themes were not touched: music, religion, politics. Perhaps that is
what makes the conversation memorable. An exchange of perspectives,
shared, not impossed. ONE in a million.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

A 160 YEARS OLD TERMINALIA CATTAPA

WALKING, about, around, by those mostly depressed streets except by the
houses here and there with some character, even if ugly, poor, wealthy, wood or concrete, big or small. With homey architecture from the thirties, sixties, or even after that. With the surprised cats in some alley
irritating barking or sleeping, friendly dogs.

The houses, there are too many abandoned for his liking, with graffiti
del guetto covering wall after wall with meaningless tags signs of territorial boredom, poverty and artistic ambition? This cumbersome
social expression seems meaningless without any connection with this surroundings, even if some museum,
masters thesis social work idiots believe it is art..Maybe. But everyone in that bag forget where is it? What is the intention? If one believes is art fine. But do you need someone to interpret the hell this spray cans artists want to share?

In one of those pathetic streets where one can find tens of weeds three/five feet high, some really beautiful wild flowers attracting bees, seeds for birds, hiding places for our endemic iguanas, lizards, or those green big iguanas that national islanders bought as pets getting bored with them and throwing them out...Now those big green
dinosaur like ones are part of our Puerto Rico USA, urban/rural scenery eating everything they find in sight, many passing away as road kill in our highways and roads. Some, a few, becoming shish cababs.

But what made him write this time was the tremendous, majestic, perhaps
eight feet in diameter, eighty feet in height TERMINALIA CATAPPA, displaying the thick branches towards the entrance of an auto mechanic shop. Creating that kind of shade that is not sickening and dark but happily
bright, the breeze moving the big thick leaves towards the west.

He stopped on his tracks and mentioned to a quiet fellow sweeping the sidewalk the immaculate beauty of the whole scene. The person with
the broom stopped, made eye contact and engaged in a brief conversation.

The answer appears on the tittle, but the kindness and interest went beyond the question. How do you know, a habitual question when anyone responded to any inquiry that jumped on his mind... A not
friendly person to nature had destroyed some other vegetation and
the authorities came to determine the value of this incredible specimen.

How to you know? The soft street cleaner, quietly responded that some time ago, the government agent who came to judge
the situation cut pieces of bark, placed them in some chemical solution deducting the age of this tree that made his day.

In front of an auto body shop, like many he had been to as a child, where his dad, an artist of autobodyrepairs took him to play, observe a trade that
changed totally when tin was substituted by bond. But that is a story for
another day.
THINGS ARE NOT AS WE
SEE THEM
BUT
AS WE REMEMBER THEM
Ramon del Valle Inclan

Sunday, May 3, 2009

EPILOGUE TO CHURCH....

My previous post about the church, those requiring a fat book to be read
repeated and interpreted every day of the year, responsible for this destruction, requires an epilogue with context.

Every one wants to save (their soul), whales, gorillas, you name it. However, with
this rate of population growth, the radical /speedy destruction of ecological/environmental habitat, its consequence, in addition to desertification, destruction of forests in Brazil, pollution of oceans with garbage, plastics and, cruisers/oil tankers refuse and plastics to name a couple, melting polar caps, CO2 emissions...

Save your soul, save your soul, goody/goody, soon there will be no water, clean air or food to feed the wretched of the earth, who have destroyed it with their impregnating habits.

Think about it. After all, we are all in the same ship/boat..

CHURCH WILD POPULATION GROWTH = ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION

For some time now some people have studied, researched, informed the media, attempted to spread the word, to do something about it. The facts fell on deaf ears. The church, all of them, pretended all was fine.

After all the interest of the church is keeping the herd,
obedient, following the sheepherder. To save the soul
for the after life. Abortion is a sin, sex as a carnal exchange is, protection against disease or impregnation is also a sin. Only abstinence seems cool to this backward institution.

In another blog an obscure failed groupie, complained
about my remarks regarding the church total indifference towards the environment and the constant destruction of it. After some meditation, I have no doubts. Opposing any responsible view as a sin, risking the possibility of heaven, stop many religion fanatics from acting reasonably regarding sex. There is no need for more people on earth now. PERIOD.

Watching the news on tv from SPAIN, you see the bunch of dark skinned fellows in overflowing boats migrating illegally, to find
a job, a better life, "for their children". In USA, very
recently, before the financial deflation result of avarice, MEXICANS, were the headlines in all types
of media. 12 million of them. Italy, France, have the same problem. Starving people looking for a better life "for their children". Or themselves.

Some academics, economists, of the leftist persuasion justify or explain this with actions
in the past. These are historical facts, well documented of colonialism and exploitation in those countries where people reproduce as rabbits.

The church was an ally in those periods of colonialism.
The bible in one hand, the sword in the other. That was
the motto. That was then. Now what?

I have been writing about horticulture, environment, ecology and forestry issues, edible gardens, the total lack of aesthetics in garden installations in Puerto Rico
USA, water waste irrigating turf, noise,
pollution with herbicides, fungicides, fertilizers, insecticides, lawnmowers, blowers,trimmers, you name it. All that seems wrong to yours truly.

However I have reached the Everest. If all these starving bastards do not stop having sex with children, now, tomorrow or the day after, there will be no more room for any one. No food, water, or clean air to breath.

And people like myself, better prepared to live now and complain constantly, to improve my surroundings, to better now will be destined to die sooner because the CHURCH does not condone abortion or ANY medical birth control, to accelerate the destruction of earth, and certain death. Heaven illussions for some of them...Hell on earth for the rest...

Saturday, May 2, 2009

IS REALITY WHAT I WANT TO ACOMMODATE MY IDEAS?

FOR the last couple of days I have felt the scent when I go out to walk Diva,
our animal of company,( since pet have fell into political incorrectness), as soon as I opened the door to our east garden. I wondered what the hell could smell so nice, it has some sweetness, but not similar to Gardenias, Frangipani, Mirabilis siciliana, or orange/lemon.

The mystery was solved today around five pm. While I was using my retro stationary bicycle in the back yard, I took a glimpse trying to follow unknown ocean side birds and saw it right there, the intense yellow flowers of the PTEROCARPUS. One scent that has to be in to top five. I stated my dislike for Ylan-ylan and Nerius Oleander, already.

Which reminds me of this idiot from the east who wrote in her blog about the Four o'clock flower and I the good hearted with credentials creative critic, mentioned the great fragrance of the flower (Mirabilis siciliana), and she
stated that hers did not smell... As it was my fault or I did not know what
I was writing about.

This in turn forces me to write about other anecdote since I am writing about scent. I used to worry about readers or not, wondering if there was
anyone reading the crapy output, often original, that I deliver. Now, after
navegating the web regularly, I witness the mentally challenged comments that
people into plants, who have gardens, who write about horticulture
leave behind. It is beyond tolerance.

This woman mentioned the great scent of Ixoras in the comment section. The host, seems infatuated with this worn out/overused bush in Puerto Rico. The guy was very gentle. Told the fool that Ixoras have no scent whatsoever...What would I have done?

I would have questioned this ever present lady in the comments, if she
really had Ixoras or a problem as the lady with her Four o'clock, or if she
thought that every one of my blogs required her trivial, meaningless feedback.

And back to you in the studio..

What is the problem with MEXICANS, first it was SALMONELLA, in produce, now is some hog fever that is driving everybody nuts. By the way, I am recovering from the worst cold I ever had in my 57 not heinz. Could it had been the pig fever? It seems from this event that now, now everything that is bad becomes global..

I wonder if AlKAEDA, the Bin Laden fellows know anything about biology
since it would be very simple to really screw up those countries that have shown no respect for their backward primitive, male chauvinist religious
belief. Imagine what life is going to become.

Some fellows create a pest in a lab, preferably flu like and start spreading
it just as those martyr idiots for 72 virgins who blow themselves up. A question comes to mind, what do they offer to the women who are blowing themselves up more recently?

Back to the MEXICANS, these guys are really wild, but not refined, sophisticated as the COLOMBIANS, murdering wise. Over six thousand
people have been shot in the Narco Wars in Ciudad Juarez, about the same or less than USA casualties in Irak. I have since 1990, in an article
published in El Diario/La Prensa suggested that all DRUGS be legalized.

This is the rigth moment. With the financial, banking, real estate, securities, insurance crisis...This megabucks should be taxable. I do not
care about any other issues. The alcohol prohibition was more damaging
than allowing the populace drink. On the other hand, if alcohol and cigarettes are legal and sold why not?

Imagine: coke/heroin, acid, pot, hashish, mescaline, crystal meth, and any
imaginable drug for social mingling, networking was legalized.. There would be no more shoot outs since the monopoly would be in the hands
of the state, just as alcohol and cigarettes are.


As a former freedom fighter in Deutshland Bundesrepublik 1975-1976, I learned everything that any educated person with credentials needs to know about drug in practice/theory. Except with the use of needles, I can not see blood. Never felt the urge to put anything in my veins.

Therapy and counseling will be offered for junkies unable to control the
urge. Just like there are bariatric surgery, therapy for morbose eaters.
What is your argument for a rebbuttal? Good luck and let it flow.

POLLINATING FROM BLOG TO BLOG

I decided to start something else to avoid the feeling of being lost in a swamp, a sensation intensified when I leave the house for a drive or a stroll. All the concrete,
asphalt, noise, heat, traffic jams, people hollering, car alarms, in brief living in an isle with noise,
air, visual, pollution is not easy.

Perhaps, visiting other blogs from this isle written in Spanish or English and taking, quoting the best/and the worst from the multiple possibilities would be a great entertainment for yours truly and
readers with critical capabilities. What is good and what is not in, anglospano review will be based only in my belief that the political, ecological, environmental, economical situation here and the rest of the world is really screwed up in terms of
priorities and focus.

Well, perhaps it will be more useful to include in our criticism, observation of other blogs moving away to cover those from other countries, since my perception as
a reader, from these far away places is very similar to Puerto Rico. The view of what seems real is absurd. Not only that. When you point to others the why and how, they
pretend you wrote nothing. Turning their face the other way.

I often wonder if it is some disease, the stupidity to comprehend what is logical and evident...we shall return ....

One example of this rare need to repeat themselves, to scratch each other backs,
embracing the flag at the most insignificant provocation, is the lesperian matriarch,who has recently embraced the ecological/environmental pathetic situation in Puerto with destroyed trees in the metro area and adyacent municipalities.

But these same senior environmentalist, when questioned regarding the repeated denunciation of the destruction of twelve acres in Parque Donha Ines/Fundacion Luis Munhoz Marin, in Trujillo Alto, responded "one has to choose the battles to be fought"...and on and on. Well, I decided to laugh my heart out at this improvised, superficial, wordy and meaningless fashion to defend
the environment without planting anything, just posing as the bag lady of our ecological suicide.

On top of that, from her throne in Condominio el Monte, she proclaims who is the best environmental this or that, the best blogs and so on and so forth. It is amazing, all these empty words, symbolic gestures, collecting a thousand signatures for trees already mutilated and killed, then what? On the other hand, this destruction takes
place all over the island, by the government, housing construction companies, highways and many others. The criteria to pick which one becomes your pet
ecological suicide what is it?


Where are the credentials? What have you planted? What can you identify? Have you, noticed the mutilated trees surrounding your neighborhood? Why the need
to pose constantly? Who anointed you?