NSA Metadata Release

I doubt I’m the only cynic out there, but I find the whole 50 terrorist plots foiled in 20 countries headline and the release by the NSA of said data a little too convenient and suspect. Amazing, how to protect themselves from Snowden’s allegations, they are now coming out with this data. I suppose to explain how it’s excusable to monitor everything you and I say and do. I’m not excusing Snowden’s leaks, that isn’t right either. There were different avenues he could have chosen to come forward with his information, though what was he doing with this information in the first place? Just one more inconsistency in this NSA and administration of scandal and missteps, it seems.

I’ve been trying to stay away from taking a written stand on all the political scandals and furor out there……..believe me I see and hear it all ad nauseum, my husband loves FOX news, but that’s enough tangential association I wanted to have until today. I air my opinion to friends who want to listen, but don’t really want to expound on my apolitical blog.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t resist nor keep my fingers still after hearing the Talk Jocks talking about the Metadata release this morning.

Isn’t it unfortunate for the administration and the NSA that the thwarted cases of terrorism might not be able to be proved or disproved? It’s also unfortunate for the public….we’re all a little “gun shy” (or shouldn’t I use that un-PC saying) after the many scandals currently swirling around this administration and it’s Ad hoc depts. of power that we’re a little suspect knowing everything we do and say is now being “monitored”? If you notice, the IRS scandal seems to have legs, even if the media isn’t covering it well, both sides of the aisle can’t agree to disagree on any of the scandals, and the pundits and politicians from both sides are divided apart from party, that to me makes them seem to have some validity no matter how much people want to deny them. When you have politicians jumping parties, there might be real trouble and perhaps truth to rumors of scandal.

What is also unfortunate is that though there were 50 plots “supposedly” foiled, the Boston bombing and the Zazi case weren’t two of them. I don’t know if I believe anything these politicians and NSA guys say. They have lost all credibility in my eyes after lying and obfuscating to us, we the people.

I do know that terrorism is alive and well, but let’s call it what it is, not a “War on Terror” but I do not want to give up my Fourth Amendment rights for safety. There must be a better way than infringing so blatantly on the citizens’ basic civil rights of this great country.

What do you think?

© Evelyn Garone 6/18/13

Pet Peeves

I was listening to the radio today….to News Talk Radio and I was surprised to hear one of the talk jocks use the saying, and more than once “I could care less”. I believe the saying is “I couldn’t care less”…..I don’t believe these sayings are interchangeable and mean the same thing, I believe the saying has been bastardized and just grates on my nerves. The whole point is that you don’t care! I’m not trying to be a bitch, I make many faux pas, God knows none of us are perfect, it’s just that speaking is his job and though supposedly the new expression is “accepted” it drives me crazy.

This got me to thinking of pet peeves people have….here is a list of the most annoying things I could think of:

1.  People using the word literally when they don’t mean really mean “literally”. It’s one of the most overused words today.

2.  People talking on cell phones loudly in public places, people talking on their cell phone when they are with you, people talking on cell phones on store lines, etc. — Just plain rude cell phone usage.

3. People trying to get on elevators, subways, etc. before people get off.

4.  People driving around the world with their blinker on!

5.  People who cut you off then drive slowly when there was no one behind you for miles.

6.  Mouth breathers

7.  Loud chewers or open-mouth eaters

8.  People who use their, there and they’re interchangeably and incorrectly

9.  Fake commenters on blogs

10. The necessity of the “public” to be constantly over-stimulated — using earbuds everywhere all the time to “tune” out, even when with other people, or out in nature

© Evelyn Garone 6.18.13

Happy Father’s Day

Today can be a day of pleasure and pain….a day of remembering and a day of sharing memories and love.

It can be a day of bittersweet thoughts of men who are gone and a day of spending time with the man who is uppermost in your minds and hearts today.

Whatever is the case in your life, I wish you Happy Father’s Day.

I miss my Father every day….I miss his corny stories and anecdotes. He always loved me dearly and meant well. He always told me the truth no matter how much it hurt he felt it was the right thing to do.I realize now it wasn’t the worst thing……it toughened me up to the cold cruel world. But he always had a smile and a hug for me afterwards, even if I really didn’t want it. He was a man of many moods, sometimes volatile and sometimes quite jovial. He did his best always and provided well for his family…..I will miss him all the rest of my days, making this a hard day at times. I feel for anyone who has lost their dad. Again, Happy Father’s Day to all!

Evelyn Garone © 6.16.13

Truly Gifted!

Should we need other’s reassurances

that we are special?

That we have gifts

Perhaps that is not the way….

we need to feel it on the inside

when we find our own “GIFTS”

and know they are genuine

we will be at peace

that is the gift…..

who we truly are

Evelyn Garone ©

Puerto Rico……a Nice Travel Destination!

Hey, I’m back and sorry I haven’t posted a blog in quite a while. The internet service at the hotel was “spotty” at best so though I would have liked to share my experience during the visit, it wasn’t possible.

We stayed at the San Juan Marriott – Stellaris Casino on Ashford Avenue on Condado Beach. The beach itself was lovely, the water warm, salty and wavy making it fun to body surf everyday. Though it was supposedly the “rainy season” we got off really lucky by only having one day of rain, though other days it did sprinkle sporadically, but didn’t hinder the visit at all! I was a little disappointed there were no shells on the beach….that is one of my favorite past-times while beach vacationing, but there were little seed balls that rolled up and I brought home and immediately placed in a decorative bowl.

The Marriott – Stellaris Casino

View down our beach

interesting rock formations on Condado Beach

Evening view from deck

Little oasis on beach walk

Graffiti on retaining wall

It was a relatively nice place…..a little older resort than we’re used to staying at, though we picked it for it’s LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! Ashford Avenue seems to be “the place” to be seen — there was a lot of foot and car traffic constantly making it a mecca of entertainment! There were many restaurants to pick from instead of staying constantly in the hotel. The drinks were priced a little high, $12.00 each at most places, though the breakfasts were reasonable and so were the dinners.

They did have service on the beach at our hotel which was nice and convenient to cool us down with a frozen Mojito after a few hours in the sun. I thought run drinks might be cheaper being right near THE Bacardi Factory, but not so.

An interesting store on Ashford Ave.!?

I digress, though. The Puerto Rican people themselves were very friendly, and passionate which you could tell from their exuberance while gambling in the casinos and punching, slapping, and shaking the machines. Not being bilingual sometimes caused a little struggle communicating with many locals, though it’s easy enough to get by.

Old San Juan City Hall

We went to see Old San Juan which was enjoyable and quite a walk-about. It is quite a charming town with little streets that I would never want to have to navigate! The cab ride there was quite an adventure, with the local cab driver thinking nothing of just about sideswiping parked and moving vehicles as he got us to our destination quite admirably. The cab ride is a set $15.00 which we thought was fine and nice to know, having asked the Concierge the process, and knowing is half the battle.

There is much to see in the city, though the roads can be tough to traverse since many are an old blue cobblestone which was lovely.

The Fort — called Fuerte San Felipe del Morro, but locals just call this massive fortress El Morro was amazing. To think people 500 yrs. ago built this to protect the island from different marauders and our inner cities are falling to seed in 30-40 yrs. is mind-blowing!

There were many parks throughout San Juan to see different art while you sat down and relaxed.

That’s it for now…..so if the Travel Bug bites you, perhaps Puerto Rico is the place for you!

Evelyn Garone 6.10.13 ©

Men….

I had to calm down from the debacle of last night before I could even write this blog today.

Now I want you to understand, I LOVE men, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes they are just so clueless, it’s amazing. (Please don’t barrage me with negative comments guys, I’m sure you have your issues with us women!)

My husband handled all the plans for our upcoming trip for a “big” birthday of mine……no, never mind how old I’m going to be, that isn’t germane to the story. Anyway, back to the point. I have left traveling plans in my husbands hands since our travel-agent is his brother, though perhaps that was my first mistake?! I thought he and his brother could handle the situation, but as it came to our attention last night things aren’t what we thought, thankfully in time. Guys just don’t think the same way we women do, and I’m not saying who’s right or wrong, they just don’t think the same things are important and they don’t necessarily take our thoughts and feelings into account when handling things that will affect us, the emotional beings we are.

My husband and I are going to Puerto Rico, but for his own reasons and interests he needs to go to NJ first to go to a car race he has been attending every years for about 40 straight years, since he was about 10 yrs. old. This I understand and am behind wholeheartedly, I’m happy he has his interests. But though he feels he must attend it on my birthday, he thought he had to do something to make up for it, I think. So instead of just going round trip, then coming home where he and I could make our trip together he had to try to get “fancy”  and decide we should fly at the same time, to our different destinations so he could take me to the airport and see me off. That’s all well and good, send me to Puerto Rico alone and catch up with me in 2 days…….I am a big girl, I can travel alone and have. My only request was for a car to pick me up at the luggage carousel and take me to the resort so I would not have to handle my giant suitcase alone and the obnoxious gauntlet of cabbies and other unsavory characters you find at Island Airports trying to scam you to take their cab and then charge you an exorbitant fee or to buy a condo.

My husband had assured me for months that this was the case. A man with my name on a card would be waiting to wisk me away at the airport

to my awaiting chariot and drive me to my desired destination, the resort, or so he thought. I guess I am partly to blame….we have had the information for weeks, I could have perused it and saw this wasn’t true. But I took him at his word………

Unfortunately when we decided to look at the booklet last night, 1 day before the trip, we see that a shuttle will be there at the airport waiting for me, NOT a car. So, I’m assuming I will have to run the gauntlet of all the non-sense that happens at airports, unsolicited cabbies harassing me under the guise of “helpful” guides and such. When I found out this information, I lost it! I was so angry that my only request for this whole trip was messed up and no one was aware of it……I would have been standing there like a boob waiting for my car service for God knows how long!

I don’t know if it was his oversight or his brother’s advice that changed MY plans without my input, but I was so furious. When we called my brother-in-law I spoke with my sister-in-law who tried to talk me down. I know I was unhinged, but I don’t like people changing my plans without my opinion. She assured me that the problem could be worked out. It seems when I finally spoke to my brother-in-law, he saw no need for an expensive “car service”…..the shuttle was fine in his opinion and my husbands. It seems that both men thought I was over-reacting……..but I’m the one traveling alone and I’m the one who feels the need for the car for my peace of mind. Is that too much to ask?

I have finally calmed down enough to realize for some reason I may have over-reacted last night, unfortunately that is my MO at times of stress. Perhaps I am more worried about the upcoming “big” birthday and the flying alone than I thought!

The problem did work it’s way out with my brother-in-law calling American Express and checking on the situation today for clarification. It seems that the shuttle service man will be waiting for me at the baggage carousel to take my luggage and me to the shuttle bus. If only either Man had been aware (remembered) of this, or if American Express had typed this on the travel plans all need for a meltdown could have been avoided. My husband did make a choice, albeit an acceptable one without my opinion, but had forgotten in the interim to tell me the change of plans. Isn’t memory a great thing to lose? NOT! He did pay a modest fee for the meet-and-greet service but to put my mind at rest is priceless.

Now I’m the one who looks the fool for over-reacting! Damn…I hate when that happens!

So though I think men are crazy I’m sure men think we women are crazy…we’re just so different. It’s a learning experience everyday, realizing though we love someone we will never understand them!

What irks you with the opposite sex…….what sets you off?! Are you the patient one in the relationship or are you the emotional one?

Evelyn Garone 5.29.13

Mermaids – Fact or Fantasy?!

The other night on The Animal Planet there were 3 separate “documentaries” called Mermaids: The New Evidence, Mermaids: Body Found and The New Evidence: Unlock New Evidence on Mermaids that my husband and I watched in rapt attention. We usually love this kind of stuff……it’s highly entertaining and spreads optimism through the world that perhaps there is still a little magic left in adult life, when it is based on fact, not fiction.

What we did not know, until the end of the documentary was that it was more of a fictional movie than a “documentary”.  They had us hook line and sinker thinking the photos and evidence were real until they used the CGI once too often. I don’t know to what end. Was it to spread negative attention about SONAR usage by the government by tree huggers “to save the planet”? I do think the mass killing of whales and dolphins is unacceptable, but that needs to be investigated more, not Mermaids! Was it just a “docudrama” to help end sea exploration for oil and gas by the “Greenies” under the guise of animal protection?

I’m not sure, but either way I would hope that both The Animal Planet and The Discovery Channel decide to cease and desist with these fake documentaries without a giant disclaimer before, during and after the show. They should do honest advertising that it is a “docudrama” or a movie loosely based on some fact. Perhaps if they got

Giorgio Tsoukalos

the guy “with the mad hair” from “Ancient Aliens” it would have been more believable.

Actually, shouldn’t this show have been on The SYFY Channel? Who knows how many people actually believed this disinformation…..and will want the Gov’t. to stop drilling for oil and gas so we don’t hurt the poor Mermaids?

Some of the information seemed interesting, but using former “supposed” NOAA scientists, Smithsonian experts and the like was disappointing and distressing considering none of them were real……oops I forgot, if the whole “documentary” isn’t real how could the “scientists” be? To try to confuse their viewing audience is beyond the pale. I know they had a convenient “disclaimer”, but it was ambiguous at best and at the end of the show. If I had been aware of this in the beginning, I would have changed the channel. I thought this was going to be “real” information……WTH was I thinking? If you can find any real science-based shows on The Discovery Channel or real animal shows on The Animal Planet, or even real history on The History Channel it would be far and few between and refreshing. Cable may have jumped the shark and this is why so many people are getting Satellite TV, Apple TV or Netflix, to try to discern what they watch and when they watch it.

I also forgot, silly me, that all TV is about the advertising dollars, and after The Animal Planet having made a huge success with viewership last year during the Memorial Day Weekend, doubled down and showed more non-sense again this year. Last year I had enough sense to realize it was bullshit and move on…….

What do you think, I’d love to know?

(C) Evelyn Garone 5.27.13