Category: a personal note

My Special Relationship with the Jewish People

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

My maternal grandfather was born in Italy in 1879.  I don’t know where in Italy, I was told he would always say “in the mountains”.  Italy is full of mountains, but I suspected Tuscany and when I had my DNA checked a few years ago, yes, I did have Tuscan Italian DNA.  He was orphaned at a very young age.  He was taken in by a Jewish family, who treated him like a son and taught him their family trade of tailoring.  He was Roman Catholic.  When he was about 12, they brought him with them when they emigrated to America.  If it were not for these people obeying God’s rule for them to “take care of the orphan” I would not be writing this.  He died at 27 from pneumonia, so I never met him.

When we moved into our house (I was about 8 then), we lived in the Elmora section of Elizabeth NJ.  That neighborhood then  was about 90% Jewish.  I had Jewish friends, swam at the YMHA, and dated Jewish boys when I got older.  Wonderful times.

I pray that the current upsurge in ant-Semitism will go away.

I despise it more than words can say.

God bless everybody

Patty

Yesterday at the Bank

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

I check my checking account balance every day.  Just a habit from being a bookkeeper for a long time.  I noticed the day before yesterday that there was an odd amount being withheld from the balance. I  called the bank and was told I would get a call back.  When they called back they told me that because Lee had died they were holding money back.

I had not told them of Lee’s death yet, so I assume  it was Social Security who informed them. I had to run to the bank with a copy of the death certificate, fill out and sign a couple of forms and it was rectified.  If I had not  done so, anything that would come in for Lee (like his pay) would bounce back out of the account.  Nice one, guys–a call to me would have been a help.  I had had the  account with that bank for close to fifty years.  We were also assured at that time that it was joint–no problem if a death should occur.  Wouldn’t it have been just dandy if my check to the lawyer had bounced? This bank also keeps sending e mails to their customers telling us how they are always “here for you.”  Phooey.

I also noticed that in my previous post about the NFL, I neglected to mention that Bad Bunny was their choice to be featured in the Super Bowl half- time show.   That was the “entertainer” that I was talking about.  How silly–we all know there is no such thing as a bad bunny.

God Bless Everybody

Patty

One of God’s Greatest Gifts to Mankind–Music.

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Today I wanted to try something different.

I wanted everyone to pick their favorite popular song melody.  Not the lyrics, but just a lovely melody.  This is one of my favorites, I could not get the link from YouTube to transfer to WordPress (probably protected), so I used this one instead.  This is a group of quite gifted  young men who do a great job.  A really exquisite melody.

I would love to hear from you.

Remember, this is just popular music, not classical, nor folk, nor sound track scores.  We will get to those later.

Don’t worry about sending a video (trying to get this one done had me pulling my hair out), just your favorite–and only if you want to.

Later I’ll tell you about the bank.

God bless everybody

Patty

 

Human Resource Issues Reflect a Deeper Cultural Problem

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

My daughter works for a large retail chain in the Southeast.  She was recently promoted from Sales to a position in Human Resources ( why they changed it from Personnel I don’t know).

From the beginning she noticed big problems with hiring and keeping employees.  This really is a good employer, by the way–large employee discounts, performance bonuses, great pay, advancement and recognition–you name it.

Here’s what happens far too much of the time.

Someone is hired, fills out all the required complex paperwork, and never shows up.

Shows up for a few days, then disappears.

Works one day, calls in the next day, then disappears.

Stays out, never calls in.

And so on.

It is a constant churn of interviewing and hiring.  Very few new hires actually remain as permanent employees.

I had heard of these employment problems before, but was not aware of how bad it truly is.

This is a symptom of a vast cultural un-caring.  Where is the work ethic?

How do these people think?

And how do they manage to live?

I’m sure we are now seeing the results of the participation rewards given to children in primary school.  You get a prize just for showing up.

This does not bode well for the future of our country.

God bless everybody

Patty

The Very First Oy Rodney Post REPRINT

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

This is from 2017.  The picture is a different one, as I couldn’t bring Lee’s picture over, I put a picture of a dog that looked exactly like my little guy from many years ago.  Dobie.

All right, so I don’t have a dog.  I wouldn’t let my cats read it, either.

Oy, Rodney! by Violet Crepuscular is one of those awful romance novels, but with an added twist: the author has hired goons–formal job description “literary consultants”–to go into bookstores and make thinly veiled threats.  The plot ain’t nothin’ to write home about, either.

Can young Lord Jeremy Coldsore, 5th Viscount Atropine, win the love of the aging but still quite homely Dame Margo Cargo, the richest woman in Scurvyshire?  Or will the mysterious stranger who looks like Ed Begley, but isn’t, get in first?  What is the awful secret concealed under the Vicar’s plastic wading pool? And how come there’s no character in this book actually named Rodney?

 

A BAD DAY WITH A GREAT FINISH

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Today it was gray, raining and muggy.  I had to go to the funeral parlor to get Lee’s ashes, then to the lawyer’s office where we discussed plans for my end-of-life decisions.   It sounded ominously imminent and a little creepy.

I came home, had lunch and was watching an Inspector Morse episode when I got a phone call from one of the chaplains at the hospital.  They do follow up calls for those who have suffered a bereavement.

We ended up having a rousing, wonderful conversation.

When he asked how I felt about the Charlie Kirk murder, and I told him, the floodgates opened.

This man was born in New York city and before he became a minister, he had worked in media.  Radio and television.  He worked for CBS and saw all the editing shenanigans in the control room and complained about it–to no avail.

We talked about Charlie Kirk, the incredible media slant, Jimmy Kimmel–you name it.  This man is on fire.  He wants to see the blog and is very happy that this small ministry is ongoing.

What an uplifting, stimulating end to a day that started so poorly.

We will talk again in three weeks and I am certainly looking forward to it.

I hope he enjoys the blog.

God bless everybody.

Patty

Let’s Hear it For Social Security

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

I am not one to sing the praises of any large government agency.  They are bloated, too intrusive, and generally a pain in the neck.

Today, however, I had a really pleasant experience with the Social Security Administration.  I had been dreading having to go to the office.  It’s only a few miles away, but you have to use a section of road traveled by people who drive like drunken kamikaze pilots.

The woman who handled my information took care of everything in about ten minutes.  I will have to have a meeting with them.  The earliest she could give me was November 19.  But–it will be on the phone.  Hooray!  That means I don’t have to schlep to New Brunswick, park in the multi story parking garage illuminated by a 10 watt bulb ( I hate those garages, also) and bring along every possible document I have relating to anything I have ever done in my life.

As the old joke end “So far, so good.”

God bless everybody

Patty

A Hellish Morning

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

 

 

This morning I called Walgreens to inquire about safe disposal of Lee’s remaining prescriptions.  Some Walgreens have a drop off kiosk, but mine does not.  After vainly attempting to talk to a live person–not a simple-minded computer–I gave up and went to the store.

When I started the car, it grumbled a little.  That made me nervous after it’s bout of non-starting a few weeks ago.  I took it for an 8 mile ride first.

At the store, they gave me several envelopes of powder which you mix with water right in the prescription vial and shake it.  After about 30 seconds it becomes a gel which deactivates the drug and makes it safe for disposal in your trash.

Well, that was easy.

Buoyed up by that success, I called AOL.  We have our e-mail with them and I have to take the automatic billing off one credit card and put it on one that is in my name.  All I wanted to do was to change the card.  I was connected to someone who sounded very far away.  The conversation went something like this.

He  Is the account holder there?

I No

He  I have to talk to the account holder.

I  Well, you can’t

He Will he be there later?

I No

He  Can he call me?

I No

He  Why?

Now I was completely losing it.  I was getting truly angry.

I  Because he is deceased

He  I can send you to the help line for that.

I  What??

He  They will tell you what documents you need to give them.

I guess he meant they will need a copy of the death certificate which I do not have yet.

At that point I gave up and will just wait to do these things when I get the death certificates.

I decided to relax and listen to some of my music which is on iTunes.  This is music which I have purchased.

I could not “authorize” my computer to play the music and after 4 or 5 calls from Apple giving me codes to enter, I gave up on that.

I am going to spend the afternoon quietly grieving for my husband and having absolutely nothing to do with anybody’s computer.

God bless everybody

Patty

Media Madness

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

 

 

 

After spending most of the morning fiddling around with the media editor on the computer, I finally was able to add this file.  This is Lee shortly before I met him.  The photo is too dark and blurry, but it’s the best I could do before actually tearing all my hair out.

I will be back later–as now I have to take my car for a ride (as my mechanic told me to do) to encourage the battery.

My own battery could use some encouraging.

God bless everybody.

Patty

The Rutgers Questionnaire

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

This was an actual questionnaire received by Lee in 1978.  He had only been out of college 7 years.  I adjusted the salary amounts to what they would be today.

 

In a recent effort to chart the social and economic progress of the class of 1971, my college alumni magazine sent out a questionnaire which includes the following dilly:

Your current annual income is:

A more than $15,000.00     ($74,000.00)

B more than $25,000.00    ($124,000.00)

C more than $50,000.00   ($248,000.00)

D up to  +      $75000.00     ($372,000.00)

The questionnaire also wanted to find out whether I had been elected or appointed to any public office, how much professional or literary material had been published under my name and whether any public buildings, foundations, or geographical features had been named for me.

When  I finished laughing, I began to feel disappointed in myself for being unable to answer any of the questions.  Was I a failure? Was I one of those rare  members of my graduating class who hadn’t set the world on fire? (After all, it’s 1978 already; they gave me seven years).

The memory of my last high school reunion, however, brought me back on an even keel.

At a high school reunion everyone you meet is doing just fine.  You don’t hear anybody saying, “After several years of unemployment, I’m stuck in a dead end job with no future.  I can’t make my mortgage payments, the finance company is hounding me about my car, and my spouse hates my guts.  My kids are jerks.  I spend most of my time watching TV and I’ve forgotten virtually everything I learned in school.”

Instead it comes out like this: “I’ve got a steady job with a good company, my house is lovely, and I drive a new car.  I have a comfortable marriage and I’m proud of my kids.  I stay pretty active.”

I filled out my questionnaire to say I was a millionaire, had just been elected to the State Senate, and was happy to report that Mt. McKinley would appear as Mt. Duigon in the next issue of National Geographic.

But I never mailed the blooming thing.  Why bother to make up whoppers if thousands of other respondents are doing the same?

But they had me going for a second, and I still resent it.  They phrased the questionnaire to make it look like fame and fortune were the natural outcome of four years’ attendance at their silly college.  For a moment they made me ashamed because I didn’t measure up.

I imagine I would be very unhappy if I shifted gears on my life and tried to meet the alumni magazine’s criteria for success.

Not that these criteria are at all uncommon–far from it.  When we ask somebody what he’s worth, we expect the answer in dollars and cents.  When we wish we were someone else–and that’s another can of worms–it’s always someone rich and famous.

You can’t blame people for feeling that way.  If we’re told something often enough, we eventually believe it, no matter how ridiculous it may be.  After spending four years telling me how to strive for knowledge, growth and self-respect, college turned around and asked about my finances.

The alumni association, of course, is not the same thing as the liberal arts faculty.  But it’s still the end product of all that teaching, all that sermonizing, and all that two-faced quackery.  By their fruits you shall know them.

There’s something wrong with an educational process whose end product is shabby materialism.  Other factors play major roles, but the educational system is our fault.  We elect the school boards, we pay the taxes and the tuition, and we sit around like concrete lawn ornaments while the system continues to deteriorate.

If people are unhappy, it’s mostly because they judge themselves by false standards.  If you measure gold by it’s ability to float in water, you won’t consider it a very valuable commodity.

I wish I hadn’t thrown that questionnaire away.  I should have returned it with “None of the above” scrawled across the sheet with a note attached to describe my real progress:

Gentlemen, I edited the paper for the first time last week.  My pet lizards laid eggs.  I taught my wife how to play my favorite wargame.   For supper, we had fish we caught ourselves.  I finally figured out why Edgar Rice Burroughs was a better fantasy writer than Robert E. Howard.  I could go on, but I don’t like to brag.

Lee Duigon

The Inquisitor

1978